Tonight I joined millions across the globe taking part in Earth Hour. The aim is to raise awareness of environmental behaviour. I’m one of those annoying people who is not only very convinced of the utmost importance of nature, but is often going on about it. I like to think I am environmentally conscious or conscientious, but I do often notice that nearly all the lights and devices are on in the house at any particular time.
At twenty past eight, my phone reminds me that it’s time to shut down. In 10 minutes all of our lights will turn off. At half-past eight, I light a candle and top up my son’s bathwater (energy saving I thought, although I could definitely save a lot of water heating resources by just lying on the sofa). I can’t see anything, I can’t even find a hairband in my washbag. I light two more candles, and one for my husband so that he doesn’t have an accident in the hall or eat a dog treat by mistake.
I pour a sachet of german forest themed bath salts into the water. The smell is almost identical to a powerful type of Radox bath they had in England in the 80s. I remember taking a particularly dreamy bath in equally dark settings surrounded by the snorting and stamping of horses and scampering of dogs on my Aunt’s old farm.
As I soak, old dreams resurface, to be mixed with new ones. I’ve mentally constructed our Earthship inspired loft, with solar energy and gardens that allow us and the neighbours to be self-sufficient in veggies. In the daydream I’m discussing different types of insulating blinds with my architect friend, and whether anyone will look into the domed skylights that go over the bathroom. I imagine that it’s only us self conscious English that worry about this stuff. Our existing ground floor flat turns into a medicinal mushroom farm and holistic medicine practice.
It’s now an hour after Earth Hour ended for us in Berlin and I’m on my laptop, yes, but with the brightness at it’s lowest and Nightshift on to lessen the impact of the blue light on my eyes. From my bedroom window, I can see 10 other apartments, only one has lights on. Maybe the hashtag really reached our building?
Thoughts are better without distractions. I’d like to turn the lights off early every night.