WHEN some people make a stand on climate change, these people do not just do that, in fact, they pedal to advance their cause for Mother Earth.
Bike enthusiasts from the city and nearby towns gather Saturday, March 25, 2023 and bike through 25 kilometers of Metro Tagbilaran roads, to campaign for an hour-long of respite for burdened mother earth, calling people to turn their lights off for an hour or more for the Earth.
The Earth Hour plus, in Bohol is set at 8:30 to 9:30 Saturday, and could even be extended, according to the conviction of people who care about lessening the impact humans deal on the environment.
This too as Bohol joins the whole world in passing the message across: climate change is as urgent as anyone thinks and must be acted upon immediately, to suppress its effects.
Climate change, as we have seen in the past few years is getting manifested in more severe typhoons, higher tides and fiercer hot days, that the urgency of unified action to delay if not reverse the situation is a call everyone must make a serious thought, organizers of this year’s night ride said.
Also called the Earth Hour+ across the globe, the one hour of switching-off the house lights, set on the day nearest to the summer equinox, would highlight the extreme darkness of the equinox and should bring down power consumption in the power grids, enough to take off the strain power plants exact from the earth’s resources, which they convert to power to light the homes.
For those who can’t bike with us, we appeal on you, to simply turn off the unnecessary lights in your homes, or bring their house lights to a minimum, it should be enough share of the global effort to make a unified action for change, Jude Ybas, a biker and among the pioneer organizers of Tagbilaran’s over a decade-long advocacy to help mother earth, said.
Find ways where you can contribute: bring out the candles at dinner, get the family out to the yard and star-watch, gather around a bonfire and sing with an acoustic guitar, there are a ton of possibilities as long as lights are turned off for at least an hour, adds bikers who have seen city residents slowly picking up on the habit.
This Earth Hour 2023, March 25, Saturday, we reconnect to the Earth by turning off non-essential electric lights, for one hour, from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., and actively join activities that promote reducing the strain we are impacting on the environment, Ybas continued.
This annual Earth Hour promotes conservation and sustainability to draw the attention of businesses, governments, and civil society to the environment, he added.
On Saturday, bikers gather at the Plaza Rizal at 6:00 and ride out at 6:30.
From the Plaza, the bikers take on to Totolan Dauis down Poblacion Ubos, cross Borja Bridge and then take the left to Dauis-Panglao central road, left to Poblacion Dauis and follow the highway to Junction Mansasa, climb to the NFA and go straight to Old Tagbilaran’s del Rosario Street, left towards the plaza, and the right to JA Clarin towards City Hall, or take the Katipunan to Dao Central Market access road and then left to San Isidro, down to Tiptip, Manga and then cross the highway to the Manga port and then left to Ubujan, Booy and back to Poblacion 2 taking Gallares towards the Plaza.
As this is a mass ride, organizers ask every bike to exercise discipline on the roads and highways, gear up right with a helmet, water for hydration and a blinker set for the bikes.
Organizers also urge bikers to always check their bike’s safety before riding out.
Together, we can save the Earth, to be a better place to live for the next generation, Ybas said,. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)
