THIS year, Jamaica joined the rest of the world in observing Earth Hour. The history of Earth Hour is instructive for those of us who may sometimes feel that ‘one’ cannot make a difference. In 2007, one city, Sydney, in one country, Australia, decided to encourage citizens to turn off lights for one hour to demonstrate the importance of reducing energy consumption to combat climate change. In 2014, 135 countries took part in the initiative and lights on many of the world’s iconic buildings were turned off in support. This year, cities in more than 162 countries and territories around the world, including Jamaica, supported Earth Hour by turning off lights for one hour between 8:30 and 9:30pm.

Earth Hour itself can be deemed to be a successful initiative in bringing to the world’s attention the challenge of global warming and the importance of reducing carbon output; but, equally important, is the fact that Earth Hour has been the catalyst for a variety of initiatives. The website www.earthhour.org reports that in 2014 Earth Hour Australia ran a campaign to save the Great Barrier Reef from coal and gas ports and climate change, including airing of a documentary on the day of Earth Hour. This sparked global interest as people around the world posted over 600 images for the #hearthereef campaign on Instagram. Later that year, a consortium scrapped its plans to dump dredged sludge on the reef. In China there were 66 million digital interactions as solutions for air pollution management were crowd sourced. Earth Hour has also been used to inspire crowd funding for many causes, including providing fuel-efficient stoves for women and children, climate-smart replacement boats for fishermen affected by Typhoon Haiyan, species conservation and combatting wildlife crime. It has inspired the passing of legislation, mobilising of youth to make personal commitments to reduce their carbon footprint and reforestation campaigns, among many other initiatives.

Earth Hour has also been the catalyst for the Earth City Challenge in which cities pledge to reduce carbon emissions by transitioning to renewable energy and to carry out climate change adaptation programmes. Cape Town was voted the 2014 winner.

One city, one country showing commitment to a cause has snowballed into a global multi-faceted initiative benefiting the planet and its inhabitants — never underestimate the power of one.

Road to the full basket

However, for Earth Hour to continue to be truly effective, it must inspire each of us beyond that one hour on March 28. It must inspire each of us to pursue a greener lifestyle which reduces our impact on the planet; inspire us to support and carry out those everyday activities which underlie the country’s and indeed the planet’s quest for a sustainable present and future. Each of us can take simple practical actions which, when summed up, will make a difference. Actions such as energy conservation. The costs of installing renewable energy systems might be beyond the reach of many of us, but the majority of us can walk more and drive less, contributing to reducing the output of greenhouse gases and, at the same time, enjoying the health benefits provided by exercise. We can gradually switch to LED lights, turn off equipment when not in use and use, a fan rather than air-conditioning in cooler months.

World Water Day reminded us that water is one of our most precious resources. Globally, fresh water supplies are coming under increasing stress. We can all conserve water by reducing our use of potable water, harvesting rainwater and reusing water where it is practical to do so.

We can all minimise our production of waste, particularly non-biodegradable materials such as plastic. If you must buy bottled water — and I do not — then buy the 20 litre size and decant to reusable water bottles. If you use 20 litres of bottled water per week, at the end of one year, you will have prevented some 988 plastic bottles from going into landfill sites. If a mere 500 families follow suit, nearly 500,000 bottles would not have been placed in the waste-collection sites. A similar calculation can be done for plastic bags. Take reusable bags for grocery shopping and help reduce the number of plastic bags we see everywhere, including on our beaches. Plastic also takes a vicious toll on marine life — a situation which only humans can remedy.

Join the global conservation community. We can all help global conservation efforts through the use of technology. From signing petitions, joining discussion groups and posting blogs to tweeting we can make our voices heard. At therainforestsite.greatergood.com a click of your mouse or tap of your touchscreen will trigger donors to provide money for environmental causes including rainforest conservation. Today’s technology allows us to think and act globally as well as locally.

Use your spending power. Do your research and support businesses with good environmental practices. Reduce the use of environmentally unfriendly products such as styrofoam and plastic. If practical, buy large rather than small packages to minimise packaging waste. This makes economic sense too, as the unit price is lower for larger quantities. And very important, buy Fair Trade products which have the double benefit of supporting sustainable business practices and benefiting women as well as micro and small businesses.

Jamaica’s role

So far, I have looked at citizens taking personal responsibility, but it is my belief that the State too must take responsibility. It is the responsibility of the State to protect its citizens, to ensure their well-being and safety, and I would argue, to set an example for its citizens. The Jamaican State has a responsibility to set an example by demonstrating across government a commitment to sustainable development by ensuring that it follows sound environmental and natural resource management practices, and engages in disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation. Which brings me to the point of the ongoing transformation of Kingston. There are two trends in this transformation which, particularly in the context of climate change, I find disturbing.

The first is the conversion of single-family homes with permeable lawns and gardens, multiple trees and shrubs to multi-family dwellings with a tree, a few shrubs and impermeable concrete or asphalt parking areas covering the majority of the lot. This, mark you, when the scientists tell us to expect more intense rainfall and therefore more run-off under climate change scenarios. Note that there is no concomitant expansion or redesign of our drainage systems to manage the expected increase in run-off.

The second trend which disturbs me is the covering of vacant lots and open green areas with buildings. Why am I concerned? Well it seems strange to me that when other cities are busy investing in green infrastructure and creating more urban green spaces for a variety of reasons, including as a climate change adaptation measure, Jamaica is busy removing urban greenery.

What the research says…

Results from the growing body of research into urban green spaces and their effects on human well-being suggest that these spaces provide benefits for the environment as well as people. The research design of some studies has been questioned, and no study has established causation, but many studies report an association between urban greenery and good psychological and physical health.

Russel et al writing in the journal Annual Review of Environment and Resources in 2013, report on the results of a synthesis of multi-disciplinary peer-reviewed research on how ecosystems or nature contribute to human well-being through non-tangible connections. They conclude that “the balance of evidence indicates conclusively that knowing and experiencing nature generally makes us happier and healthier people” (Abstract). They state that other benefits, to learning for example, are not well demonstrated.

Branas et al (2011) report interesting results from a decade-long study in Philadelphia, where approximately eight million square feet of vacant lots were greened. The authors, writing in the American Journal of Epidemiology, state that city greening was associated with a reduction in gun assaults in all sections of the city, consistent reduction in vandalism in one section of the city, and that residents reported less stress and taking more exercise.

Mitchell and Popham, examined whether income-related inequality in health in the UK, would be less pronounced in populations exposed to green space. Writing in The Lancet in 2008, they report that “health inequalities related to income deprivation in all cause mortality, and mortality from circulatory diseases were lower in populations living in the greenest areas”, but that there was “no effect for causes of death unlikely to be affected by green space, such as lung cancer and intentional self-harm” (Abstract). They interpret their findings to mean that the lowest levels of health inequality related to income deprivation are found in populations that are exposed to the greenest environments and suggest that physical environments that promote good health might be important in reducing socio-economic health inequalities.

Results reported to date suggest that further research is highly desirable. However there is no need to wait for further decades of research. The available research establishes clearly that there are benefits to green spaces. In fact, so convinced are some cities of the benefits of green infrastructure that they have instituted campaigns for establishing mid-air greenery in the form of green roofs; that is growing of plants, including shrubs and trees, on the roofs of buildings. Benefits of green roofs include:

* reduction of storm water run-off, which is absorbed and released over hours

* energy conservation; buildings are cooler

* mitigation of urban heat island effects

* reduction in noise and air pollution,

* increase in biodiversity

* protection of roof membranes

* provision of economic opportunities and urban agriculture opportunities

* aesthetically pleasing

One way to mitigate the negative effects of increasing building density and to improve the well-being of urban residents is through green spaces; either by retaining green space or creating new green space at ground level by greening of vacant lots, or above ground level by appropriately designed and constructed green roofs.

Preservation and/or creation of urban green space in Jamaica would meet policy goals of the ministries and agencies in charge of environmental management, climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction, crime management, social welfare and health. It might well help to meet the goals of the Ministry of Finance, as economic benefits are likely to accrue from reduced energy consumption, reduced flooding, lower levels of crime and healthier citizens. Considering the potential benefits of urban greenery, I must express my concern, and even question the wisdom of the current policy of reducing green space in Kingston and St Andrew.

In closing, I leave us with two thoughts. Never underestimate the power of one one cocoa to full even a very large basket. Inspired by the example of Earth Hour, let us each do our bit to protect the planet. Let us agree that it is the duty of the State to ensure the safety, well-being and quality of life of its citizens, present and future. The State, too, must do its part to protect the planet and in so doing protect its citizens. Let us each do our bit to influence the behaviour of the state so that it discharges its responsibilities.

Dr Barbara Carby is the director of the Disaster Risk Reduction Centre, University of the West Indies.