EDITORIAL — Biggest hour for Earth

The world observes the 20th Earth Hour today amid a fuel crisis sparked by human conflict. Switching off all non-essential lights for an hour tonight then becomes not just a symbolic gesture for Mother Earth, but a necessity to conserve energy as armed conflict shuts down the Strait of Hormuz and threatens the oil-producing states in the Middle East.

Faced with what the government has described as a “national energy emergency,” the Marcos administration has temporarily allowed “dirtier” fuel for traditional jeepneys, shipping, industrial use and power generation – raising concern from the medical community and environmental advocates.

The crisis is hastening a shift to renewable energy, particularly in states that are heavily dependent on imports for petroleum requirements. For both private and public transportation, electric and hybrid vehicles are increasingly replacing those that run on petroleum products.

Research is intensifying to develop other sources of energy. Engineers are studying ways to make magnetic levitation, for example, a viable and affordable option for operating vehicles and industrial machinery. Maglev technology is still costly. Scientists have also not given up on studying whether electrical energy in lightning bolts can be harnessed for practical uses, although the idea is deemed unviable at this point.

For electricity generation, many countries without their own crude oil resources are ramping up efforts to tap alternative energy sources that are locally available. The Philippines has natural gas, geothermal, hydropower, wind and solar farms, which can still be further developed. At least the country sources nearly all of its coal, used for power generation, from a next-door neighbor, Indonesia.

Beyond R&D that still seems to be in the realm of science fiction, other sources of energy are now rapidly coming into use. Not just to reduce vulnerability to those who use crude oil to hold the world hostage, but also to minimize global warming.

The ongoing conflict in the Middle East can make the shift to renewable energy faster and irreversible. With the fuel crisis, today’s annual lights out could truly become the biggest hour for Earth in 20 years.