I am getting excited about the approach of Spring. I know that many of my students at Smith’s School of English Sakai Higashi and Nakamozu(スミス英会話 なかもず校) are busy planning their annual Hanami parties (Cherry blossom viewing). I really love this time of year as the weather is so suited to outdoor activities. It is a great time to appreciate some of the natural beauty that Japan has to offer. Two weeks ago I visited a great park in the Semboku(泉北) area of Sakai City(堺市) to see the plum trees in bloom.
Recently I have been following a snowballing movement caled Earth Hour. Earth Hour is not political. It is a classic example of a group of like-minded people joining together (TEAM) to achieve a goal. The following is a brief history of Earth Hour…
Earth Hour started in Sydney, Australia in 2007. Approximately 2.2 million people and 2,100 businesses took part in the first year.
In 2008, Earth Hour involved between 50 and 100 million people in 370 cities and towns around the world, including Chicago, Toronto, Copenhagen, Dublin, Atlanta and Bangkok took part.
An independent survey found that 58 per cent of people in Australian capital cities joined in by switching off their lights.
In 2009, the concept truly went global, with Earth Hour triggering people to “switch off” all over the world – from the Eiffel Tower in Paris to Times Square in New York. Millions of people in over 4,000 towns and municipalities in 88 countries took part.
There is all the information and videos you can watch on the Earth Hour 2010 web site . It is amazing to see the momentum that can be achieved by groups of people working together. Perhaps you might want to get involved too!
Tim Musgrave
Smith’s School of English Nakamozu
Smith’s School of English Sakai Higashi.