Earth Hour 2009
The final item of business today is a members' business debate on motion S3M-3349, in the name of Shirley-Anne Somerville, on earth hour 2009. The debate will be concluded without any question being put.
Motion debated,
That the Parliament supports WWF's Earth Hour 2009, which aims to encourage millions of people worldwide and across Scotland to switch off their lights for an hour at 8.30 pm on Saturday 28 March 2009, to send a powerful global message that we care enough about climate change to take action and demonstrate widespread public support for an equitable, binding and scientifically credible global deal on climate change and, in Scotland, strong Scottish climate change legislation; considers that 2009 is a critical year for action on climate change with a new global deal to be agreed in Copenhagen in December; acknowledges the opportunity for Scotland to take a global lead with the most progressive legislation in the world through a strong Climate Change (Scotland) Bill; recognises that the global deal must address the historical responsibility of the United Kingdom and other developed countries as major contributors to climate change; commends local government in Edinburgh alongside the many individuals who are early signatories to support WWF's Earth Hour in Scotland, and further considers that the Scottish and UK governments are in an ideal position to take a proactive, progressive and leading role throughout the 2009 negotiations.
WWF's earth hour 2009 promises to be the most spectacular non-light show that the world has ever seen. At 8.30 local time on Saturday, in more than 80 countries, there will be a massive switch-off in support of determined global action on climate change. Some of the world's most famous landmarks will symbolically be shrouded in darkness, including the Eiffel tower, the Colosseum, the pyramids and Table Mountain. Earth hour 2009 will travel across global time zones, with events starting in New Zealand at a quarter to 7 on Saturday morning and finishing around Las Vegas at half past 3 on Sunday morning our time. Between those times, it will cross countries and continents and reach all corners of the globe, including Scotland. I am very pleased that the Scottish Government, the Scottish Parliament, many local authorities and hundreds of individuals, businesses, schools and organisations are supporting the event.
Given the size of this year's event, it is hard to believe that earth hour began in Sydney only two years ago when 2.2 million homes and businesses switched off their lights. This year, it is on track to be the biggest ever global sustainability demonstration, with hundreds of millions of people in more than 1,800 cities expected to participate. That figure far exceeds the organisers' target of 1,000 cities. A movement with this much energy can achieve results.
The event is also proving to be a fantastic demonstration of the power of the web and social networking sites. Apparently, a new mention of earth hour appears on the web every seven seconds; earth hour social profiles have more than 200,000 friends and followers; and an earth hour video is viewed online every 20 seconds. Indeed, it has been estimated that the global online community could be the catalyst in ensuring that earth hour 2009 reaches 1 billion people.
Critics might say that participation in earth hour is simply a gesture. If so, it can be a very influential one. At an individual level, it reminds us of the relevance of our own actions to international events and the need to think globally and act locally; the interdependence of people across the globe; and the strength that is gained from working together on an issue of common interest.
The emphasis on city-level participation is also important. Cities and urban areas consume 75 per cent of the world's energy and produce almost 80 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions. A powering down of iconic city lights signals recognition of our global responsibility and the need to move to a less excessive society in future. Most important of all, however, earth hour sends an inescapable message to Governments all over the world that there is widespread support for determined international action on climate change.
There is a clear but closing window of opportunity for human-induced climate change to be tackled and the decisions that will be taken at December's global climate change conference in Copenhagen in December will be critical to our success. Both the United Kingdom and Scottish Governments can be influential in the negotiations on ensuring that the Kyoto protocol's successor is the deal that we need it to be. There is reason to be hopeful that a credible agreement can be reached, not least with the change in Administration in the United States, which has brought with it clear signs of a change in direction on environmental issues. However, as we all know, we cannot take anything for granted in international negotiations.
In Scotland, the Government has already recognised the need for strong legislation to drive forward change. The Climate Change (Scotland) Bill sets tough statutory targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and creates the framework for ensuring delivery. This progressive piece of legislation will help to set the pace internationally, but I am sure that, as the bill passes through Parliament, members of all parties will look to improve on the Government's original proposal.
I am also delighted that 16 Scottish councils have signed up to earth hour's aims. As a Lothians MSP, I welcome the action taken by the City of Edinburgh Council, which was one of the first local authorities to endorse the event. Council buildings and a number of iconic landmarks in the capital such as Edinburgh castle, the Scott monument and Calton hill will be switched off. Across the capital, private businesses, schools and organisations ranging from Edinburgh zoo to Heart of Midlothian Football Club have all pledged their support for the event, and landmark buildings such as the Bank of Scotland headquarters on the Mound, St John's church and the Balmoral hotel will also turn off their lights. I am also pleased that Network Rail has signed up to switching off one of Scotland's most recognisable landmarks: the Forth rail bridge. Watching a floodlit structure of that size fall into darkness will be one of the night's most powerful symbols.
I expect that, in addition to the big iconic events, thousands of people across Scotland will join Saturday's global gesture of support for action on climate change and I offer my personal commitment to be one of them. I add a special thanks to Radio Forth for playing a fantastic role in publicising and supporting the event throughout Edinburgh, the Lothians and Fife over the past few weeks.
However, there is one snag. Over the past few days, I have been made aware by quite a few colleagues that earth hour falls right in the middle of a Scotland world cup qualifying match. I guess that many people will turn off their lights in support of earth hour but keep on the television in support of their national team. If things are going particularly badly, some might use earth hour as an excuse to turn the TV off as well.
The unfortunate timing of the Scotland match aside, the enthusiasm for earth hour throughout the country has been inspiring. I congratulate WWF on its successful efforts in raising awareness of climate change and in keeping the need for action at the top of the political agenda.
Hundreds of millions of people will turn off their lights for an hour on Saturday night. By participating in this international event, we demonstrate the power of collective action. Faced with an overwhelming issue such as climate change, it is easy for an individual to say, "What can I do?" Earth hour offers people one simple solution to start making a difference and some progress.
I congratulate Shirley-Anne Somerville on securing this important debate. She and I are co-conveners of the cross-party group on climate change. Like her, I warmly endorse this Saturday's important initiative.
As an Edinburgh MSP, I am pleased that so many buildings in this city will be shrouded in darkness at 8.30 on Saturday evening. I congratulate City of Edinburgh Council and the many businesses and schools in my constituency that have signed up for earth hour. I will not restate all the buildings that Shirley-Anne Somerville mentioned, but I will mention that three schools in my constituency—Broughton primary school, Leith primary school and Stockbridge primary school—are taking part in the initiative in a slightly different way by spending an hour for the earth this week in learning about climate change. The schools are also encouraging pupils to take part at home during the event itself.
In this crucial year for climate change, earth hour will be an important symbolic moment but it could also have a significant effect. We all know that the radical action that is required on climate change needs commitment both by Government and by individuals and local communities. Earth hour will not only indicate the commitment of thousands of people to action on climate change, but encourage others who are not so committed to think about the issue. The fact of the matter is that we still have a great deal to do to get the climate change message across. The Scottish Government, like the Government in London, is showing leadership on that, but we clearly need individuals to respond in their own lives as well. I hope and believe that this Saturday's initiative will help to galvanise people to take action this year and in the years that follow.
Clearly, this is a crucial year for climate change both in Scotland, given the Climate Change (Scotland) Bill that has been introduced, and internationally, given the Copenhagen meeting that will take place towards the end of the year. We need to ensure that this year is an important turning point for this country and for the world in recognising the scale of the action that is required.
This evening is not the time for a detailed discussion of the Climate Change (Scotland) Bill, which we all look forward to considering in the months ahead. Like other members, I have followed the bill's committee process, which has been very good and has involved a lot of evidence taking. In reading the oral evidence that the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change gave to the committee, I was encouraged to see that he is open-minded about strengthening the bill. I believe—I will make this one point—that it is particularly important that the bill is strengthened in terms that provide for more ambitious targets over the next 10 years. We all know that the cumulative amount of emissions is what matters. If we do not begin to take radical action now, total emissions will obviously be far worse come 2020 and the following decades. We have all committed ourselves over the next few months to considering the bill, which is possibly the most important piece of legislation that we will deal with in the current parliamentary session.
I hope that this Saturday's initiative will not only help to galvanise us MSPs but encourage the population to take action to support the measures that the Government is taking and, indeed, to demand stronger action from the Scottish and UK Governments. I congratulate the organisers of earth hour, which I am sure will be of great international significance. I hope that we can all build on the event to make 2009 a critical and defining year in the battle against climate change.
I offer my congratulations to Shirley-Anne Somerville on a very instructive speech. Switching off the lights is not a bold action in itself. It is more of a sign and a mass signal to businesses and Governments, which have the power and money to be bold, that millions of people—at least, I hope, a billion—around the world are urging them on. Rather than switching attention and blame to individuals who are using energy, we should focus on decarbonising electricity generation.
Politicians need to encourage and focus on giving people greater public transport choices. Earth hour, as has already been said, is about ordinary people giving leaders the mandate to switch off our carbon economy and switch on to a green and sustainable one.
In the debate that we have just had on the economy, we heard the message from Patrick Harvie that reducing our impact, and moving away from gross consumerism to a conserver economy will—far from being an obstruction—benefit the world economy. Reducing consumption—turning down the lights—could bring huge individual benefits, health, wellbeing and prosperity and, through increased localisation in the long run, provide the benefits that will save the world's economy in the long term.
Only by turning round the world economy to achieve environmental sustainability and fiscal security instead of pursuing the chimera of ever-increasing material wealth—which can only trash the entire planet if it is not controlled and redirected—will we achieve the proper end of any economy: health and happiness for all within environmental limits.
We waste a third of the food; 80 per cent of the energy; and 70 per cent of the materials that we produce, most of which end up in holes in the ground. Turning off that switch is a symbolic move in the right direction. Is it that simple? Basically—yes.
I congratulate Shirley-Anne Somerville on bringing the debate to the chamber. I fully support the protest of switching off the lights for earth hour in 2009, and every year until we make it happen for real by turning the economy round to become a carbon-saving economy.
I do not want to make too many extra comments, because the issues are huge, and we will debate in relation to the Climate Change (Scotland) Bill many of the fundamentals of how we can help to turn Scotland round. As the motion suggests, we must recognise that a global deal needs to be struck. We in the developed world have an historic responsibility, and the developing countries look to us to take a moral lead. The developed countries are major contributors to climate change, so we must ensure that as many people as possible in this country take part in earth hour and in all the processes that follow.
Earth hour will be difficult to illustrate—we will really only be able to tell that there is a shroud of darkness by looking at the earth from outer space. The famous photographs that show where the earth is lit up at night ought to show far less of that if earth hour succeeds. I hope that we can get some images to show how successful it is as we go along.
Earth hour, on Saturday night at 8.30 pm, will bring other opportunities. Some people will not necessarily be watching the football—indeed, there might be some surprise candlelit dinners for two, or for many more. That would be a good thing to do—and I did not mention the idea of candlelight for nothing. In the past, candles were made from beeswax, and part of the biodiversity of the planet involves ensuring that there are bees left to make that wax in the future.
In celebrating our earth hour, it might be a good idea for us to ensure that we remember how those things are all connected—perhaps a candlelit dinner would be a good celebration for earth hour this year.
Like other members, I begin by congratulating Shirley-Anne Somerville on securing the debate. It is interesting that it takes place in a week when two sites in Scotland have been identified as world dark skies locations, where people can focus on the stars undisrupted by surrounding light. Maybe that is an additional aesthetic benefit that we will get on Saturday night, depending on the success of this initiative.
It is interesting that, over the past few years, the process of turning lights off and switching lights on has come to be associated with new year—as Shirley-Anne Somerville said, starting in New Zealand and working its way across to the west coast of the United States. The firework parties at new year progress from one side of the world to the other and it would be interesting to see how a darkness party moved from one area of the world to another. Of course, Scotland has a terrific reputation for celebrating new year, especially in Edinburgh. I hope that we can build an equally excellent reputation for our participation in this initiative.
People are sometimes a bit cynical about an initiative of this kind. They say that it is just symbolic, just a demonstration effort. However, we have seen how events such as Live Aid and, more recently, the make poverty history demonstration in Edinburgh can change people's minds. The fact that so many people participate in an event of this kind, the fact that it is associated with an educational message and the fact that people will discuss and gather information about a problem that the world faces and do something—however limited—about it make it a valuable thing to do and something that can have a long-term impact. The make poverty history demonstration put debt relief, development aid and trade matters on the international agenda. Perhaps earth hour will help us to put climate change issues on the agenda.
The most obvious issue is that simply turning lights off will reduce energy use but, as Robin Harper said, there are many other things that we need to do. We must not just pass climate change legislation; we must get people to talk about climate change and react by reconsidering what they do. It is vital that, as part of the process that the Parliament is engaging in to tackle climate change, we produce an effective engagement strategy that builds on what already exists. I am thinking of things such as eco-schools, eco-congregations and the kind of effort that we are discussing tonight. We must take the issue beyond symbolic gestures and discussions to changes in people's practices.
I am keen to point out that adapting to climate change will involve changes that, to some extent, people will see as sacrifices. We should recognise that. However, we must also highlight the positive aspects of what people would otherwise see as sacrifices in the changes that they might have to make if we are to tackle climate change. We need to move from getting people to switch the lights off on Saturday night to getting their active engagement in recognising that they, too, have a responsibility to make changes. It does not all fall to Government, although that is not to let Stewart Stevenson and his colleagues off the hook.
I thank Shirley-Anne Somerville for lodging the motion for debate. I learned a great deal simply by reading the motion. From television coverage, I was aware of the first earth hour, which was held in Sydney in 2007. I thought that it was an interesting idea, but I did not realise that that would be the start of something that would become so big so quickly.
The gesture—is it just a gesture?—of switching the lights off at 8.30 on Saturday evening is something in which I will participate happily. It will teach us many lessons, the most important of which is the one that I will concentrate on. Although we can argue that the Government and businesses can do more, the truth is that the great achievement in the fight against climate change will be what we do as individuals—and every one of us, however tight our means, can achieve something.
I think that it was Margaret Thatcher who first made the remark about society that cast doubt on whether it exists. I assure members that even those of us who are in the Conservative party have whiled away many a wee small hour debating what she actually meant. However, I believe that she meant that what we call society is simply the sum of what we contribute as individuals towards it. I believe that, during earth hour, we will prove that what we achieve together is the sum of our individual acts of accountability. That is what earth hour is for me.
If earth hour teaches other people that they, too, should be accountable, that is a good thing. It will also be good if it teaches bigger organisations in the public and private sectors the same thing. I am delighted to hear that local authorities all over Scotland, including Aberdeenshire Council, which covers the area that I live in, will be participating in some way in earth hour. However, I often wonder, when I am passing council buildings on a Saturday evening in the dark, why they require to be so well lit up. Might it not save the hard-pressed council tax payer a little money if the council just switched the lights out more often? I also wonder why our motorway system is lit up through rural Scotland on some of the dark mornings on which I have driven on it. The reality is that there is much more that we could do, but public opinion needs to be worked on if we are to achieve those aims.
I thank Shirley-Anne Somerville once again for bringing this matter to my attention and giving me the opportunity to commit publicly to supporting it. I hope that we can all learn a little from doing a little together.
I thank Shirley-Anne Somerville for bringing this matter to Parliament. This is an important debate, and I am disappointed that there are so few members in the chamber. Perhaps those who are not here will take on board the importance of turning off their lights on Saturday night at 8.30 pm.
People were speaking about dark nights. In Grangemouth, where I come from, there are few dark nights. Maybe that should be a lesson to us all in terms of climate change.
Earth hour is about sending messages all over the world and recognising what is happening. It calls on politicians, Governments and people across the world to do something about climate change. The time has passed when people can sit and say, "Well, something needs to happen about climate change. Somebody needs to do something." Climate change is not something that is going to happen in the future; it is happening now. From floods in Scotland and America to droughts and poverty in developing countries, issues need to be dealt with now.
Others who watched "The Age of Stupid" the other night might agree with me that it will be too late to take action in 10 years, and they might be as concerned as I am about what might happen if we do absolutely nothing.
WWF has done tremendous work, but it is not only organisations such as WWF, politicians and Government that must address climate change; everyone must do so. People need to encourage others to take on board ideas such as saving power, changing habits, using public transport and so on. We need to think about what we do every day. How do we use power? How do we shop? Do we need to buy things with loads of packaging? Do we need to look seriously at what we eat? How do we recycle? How do we grow food?
Before I came to the Scottish Parliament, I worked in community development. I once organised a visit by community organisers in Bulgaria to a fairly deprived area that I worked in. The folk from Bulgaria said, "My goodness, people must be very rich here." When we asked why, they said, "Well, they don't grow anything in their gardens." That was true: the gardens were empty—indeed, some were concreted over. Our visitors were rightly shocked to learn that people in Scotland would let their gardens become overgrown and would do nothing about growing their own produce. We should use our allotments, front gardens and back gardens. We should not concrete them over.
We need to think about how we wash our clothes, whether we encourage our bairns to switch off lights, how we insulate our homes, and how we educate our children. The Climate Change (Scotland) Bill is important, and I am proud that Scotland is taking it forward but, as Shirley-Anne Somerville said, we all have a responsibility to make the bill as strong as possible. We must all work towards real change and take ownership of what we do. We must consider how we can win hearts and minds and deal with people who dismiss climate change as a daft idea or say that it is nonsense because things will happen anyway due to evolution.
I am a granny: I have four grandchildren under four. I want their lives to be better, and I want their children to have a future. If we do nothing, they will not have that future, because they will not have an opportunity to change things in 30 or 40 years' time. I do not want them to look back when it is far too late and say, "My grandmother, people in the Scottish Parliament, people in government throughout the world and people on the streets should have done something."
Earth day is a worldwide initiative, but it will work only if everyone in every community takes on the responsibility of changing the world and being serious about climate change. I thank Shirley-Anne Somerville. I will be putting my lights out—I have got a nice bottle of wine handy, and lots of candles.
I, too, thank Shirley-Anne Somerville for bringing the matter to the Parliament for debate.
On behalf of the Government, I am pleased to support WWF's earth hour 2009, as countries throughout the world will do. On 28 March, we will turn off non-essential lights in all 44 of our core buildings, as indeed will the Parliament. Earth hour raises awareness of sustainability and climate change globally and throughout Scotland.
It is clear from the speeches that we heard in tonight's debate that the Parliament supports earth hour, cares about climate change and recognises the need for action. As Alex Johnstone said, earth hour is more than a gesture—we can see that from what happened in previous years. It is thought that some 36 million people participated in 2008. We are told that Bangkok saved 4.16 tonnes of carbon in the single hour, Toronto saved 900MWh of electricity, and Ireland made a significant reduction of 150MWh and saved 6 tonnes of carbon. The best result is said to have been in Christchurch in New Zealand, which reported a pleasing reduction in electricity demand of some 13 per cent.
Members highlighted the need to work in partnership. Tackling climate change is an area in which partnership has been working effectively. We have good relations with colleagues at Westminster through their passage of the Climate Change Act 2008; with colleagues in local authorities, which unanimously supported Scotland's climate change declaration; and with the partnership that clearly exists throughout Scotland in supporting earth hour. Many members made the point that earth hour is about individual action as well as corporate action.
We must do our bit now to reduce emissions, prepare for the unavoidable impacts of climate change and encourage environmentally responsible behaviour while supporting new technologies and innovations to take advantage of the future low-carbon economy. Our climate challenge fund has so far helped 56 communities to reduce their carbon emissions and build a sustainable future. The go greener campaign gives advice on energy efficiency and reducing waste. The Energy Saving Trust supports consumers on sustainable energy issues, and the Carbon Trust is working with organisations to reduce emissions. The European Union emission trading scheme and the forthcoming carbon reduction commitment are encouraging low-carbon technologies. We will work closely with industry and further develop Scotland's massive renewable energy potential to deliver on target the generation of 20 per cent of energy consumption from renewable resources by 2020.
I want to pick up on specific points that members have made. Malcolm Chisholm referred to the need to act in the next 10 years. The Government has indicated to the Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change Committee that it will lodge an amendment to the Climate Change (Scotland) Bill at stage 2 to set a target for 2020 rather than 2030, which is the year referred to in the current draft of the bill. That will align the bill with what is happening elsewhere and will be a spur to action.
Robin Harper said:
"Is it that simple? Basically—yes."
It is simple to say that everyone should turn off their lights, but a little bit more difficult to persuade everyone to do so. However, he was, of course, right.
I am delighted that Rob Gibson's partner, Eleanor, is in for a surprise dinner on Saturday night. I, too, think that protecting bees is important if only because I have a rather sticky complaint in the back of my throat. Some royal jelly—which was, of course, the Queen mum's favourite remedy for many problems—is probably called for.
Des McNulty called on us to have a darkness party. I do not think that he was talking politics but about a celebration, and there is certainly something in what he said. He pointed to actions such as earth hour moving climate change issues on to an even broader agenda.
It is good to know that Alex Johnstone learns something some of the time. He told us that the motion is informative and that he learned much from it.
We in Scotland have huge opportunities but also huge responsibilities to make a contribution to the world climate change agenda. The First Minister has said that we can punch well above our weight. We have a bill that the WWF has described as the most ambitious in the world, and we must live up to that and continue to improve the bill. The Government and I are certainly up for that.
Of course, we have negotiations in Copenhagen to secure an agreement to succeed the Kyoto protocol. It is important that good progress is made on that.
The Government has encouraged its staff to act. An article has appeared on its intranet showing how staff can make their practical contributions. Members have referred to similar actions across the web that encourage people to act.
Given the size of the country in question and its consumption of resources, one of the most exciting changes that we have seen was indicated in President Obama's inaugural speech. In a clear change of direction, he said:
"We will harness the sun and the winds"
and the land. That indicated an engagement with the climate change agenda that is perhaps greater than we have seen before.
People have talked about the value of dark nights at home. One of the great pleasures of living in the country is going out on dark, clear nights and seeing the whole panoply of stars from horizon to horizon. Light pollution prevents that elsewhere. Many years ago, in the 1960s, my brother and I saw the Pleiades meteor shower at 3 in the morning. One would not be able to see that if there was light pollution.
It is unusual for the Parliament to call on the Government to turn out the lights, but we will do so on this occasion, even though some of us may watch the match before doing that. I support the motion in my colleague's name.
Meeting closed at 17:43.