In the aftermath of Japan’s worst ever catastrophe where more than 22,000 people died or are reported missing after the earthquake, the tsunami and the nuclear radiation which contaminated even the tap water supply in greater Tokyo, the world tomorrow will plant a good seed or deed to mark Earth Day.
Western Provincial Minister Udaya Gammanpila, a former Chairman of the Central Environmental Authority said this week the apocalyptic disaster in Japan was largely self-made because its main causes such as global warming were the result of individual and collective self-centeredness. This drove people towards the folly and foolishness of self-destruction through environmental pollution and other misadventures, which upset the delicate balance of the eco system. Mr. Gammanpila who in the past few years has been playing a major role in making people aware that they must turn away and turn away fast from their course towards self-destruction appealed to all Sri Lankans to switch off electric lights from 8.30 pm to 9.30 pm on Sunday as their contribution towards the success of Earth Day. In other countries Earth Day will be observed tomorrow but Sri Lanka postponed it for Sunday because of the World Cup cricket tournament quarter final match between Sri Lanka and England at the Premadasa Stadium in Keththarama. Ironically between 8.30 pm and 9.30 pm tomorrow floodlights will be blazing all over the Premadasa Stadium and TV sets will be on in millions of houses, meaning the consumption of thousands of units of electricity.
In another significant move President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Thursday declared open the Chinese- funded coal power plant in Norochcholai. The controversial plant when in full operation is expected to supply 30 per cent of Sri Lanka’s electricity needs and almost every area in Sri Lanka will have lights. The President said light or the lack of lights would no longer be an issue at elections. But the more enlightened aspect of this is the need to save electricity. Sri Lanka’s hydro power stations and thermal power plants need fuel, which emit more carbon dioxide into the environment and thus increase global warming. Though China is funding the coal power plant in Norochcholai, such plants are being minimized or scrapped in China itself because coal power also is said to cause environmental pollution.
Ceylon Electricity Board officials have said they are taking all steps to reduce environmental pollution from the coal power plant, but what is happening in Japan needs to be seen as a warning to Sri Lanka. Japan had taken highly modernized and maximum precautions at its nuclear power plants for electricity but these were not sufficient to prevent a breakdown in some of the reactors and cause dangerous levels of radiation after the tsunami.
Whatever the politics of electricity or the political undercurrents of coal power or nuclear power, Sri Lankans need to contribute to Earth Day by switching off lights and sacrificing their TV programmes from 8.30 pm to 9.30 pm on Sunday. That alone is not enough. We must continue the good work in reversing the trend towards global warming by using less electricity every day and avoid events or situations where there is heavy use or wastage of electricity. We need to remember that switching off an unnecessary light is like saying a prayer because it does not mean just reducing the electricity bill but contributes towards the saving of Mother Earth from self-destruction.
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