October 20, 2009 - 4:40pm

A rallying cry over spilled oil

Protesting is a tricky business these days - simply congregating to shout about injustices in a town square doesn't bring about the same kind of change it once did in decades gone by. Remember the global protests against the Iraq war in 2003? Where something like 35 million people across the world took part in thousands of simultaneous demonstrations? Where Rome got into the Guinness Book of World Records for the biggest anti-war rally ever? And where none of it really mattered because the States decided to invade Iraq just the same? Yeah, that!

When that level of public outcry accomplishes precisely nothing, traditional protesting tragically becomes a much less empowering experience. The good news? That's when people have to get a little more creative. Here, a roundup of unique, often bizarre, environmental demonstrations that got people listening.

A bright idea
In March 2007, over two million residents of Sydney, Australia switched off all non-essential lights in their homes and offices for one hour at 8:30 p.m. local time. Each year since, more and more countries around the world have joined in this empowering power-down now known as Earth Hour. Earth Hour 2010 is scheduled to take place on March 27 from 8:30 to 9:30 pm, with an estimated 88 countries participating.

But some critics aren’t so turned on by this international turn-off, saying that switching off some lights for an hour is more symbolic than actually productive, and only ends up giving people a false sense of accomplishment. Nevertheless, Earth Hour is an easy and accessible starting point for people who want a gentle introduction into environmental activism, people who are starting to care but unsure of how to help. I spent my first Earth Hour at home in Toronto, drinking tea by candlelight, and last year I spent it dancing in downtown Melbourne’s Federation Square in the centre of a dark, happy city. Whatever that one hour does for our planet, it accomplishes a lot in igniting a sense of international community.