Earth Hour

• How do we enable business and industry to prosper as rainfall intensity increases, heatwaves increase in frequency and intensity, and sea levels rise? • How do we maintain the amenity and function of inland waters? • How do we maintain the function of estuarine waters?

AdaptWest was one of WACRA’s first collaborations with Charles Sturt Council. Possibly it signals a shift in our position from community reaction towards collaboration. Globally, climate scientists have recognised that the best decisions on adaptation are likely to be made when local communities are involved in the process.

Earth Hour Andrea Rankin

Earth Hour is a global movement but the concept originated in Australia, the first event taking place in 2007 in Sydney. In 2008, the movement went worldwide. View the website for more information: https://www.earthhour.org/. According to Wikipedia:

The event is held annually, encouraging individuals, communities, and businesses to turn off non-essential electric lights, for one hour, from 8:30 to 9:30 pm on a specific day towards the end of March, as a symbol of commitment to the planet.

I first became interested in Earth Hour in 2009. In 2010 myself and Richard Smith, both members of WACRA and on the committee, organised the inaugural event in Grange. It was held at Kirkcaldy Park and was a tiny affair. About 20 friends got together with picnic rugs, food, wine and, of course, candles to celebrate this beautiful planet we call Earth.

We continued to hold Earth Hour events each year until COVID struck in 2020. However, the event changed in terms of participants and format over time. We recruited Angie Starr onto our team. Angie is an MC extraordinaire as well as a talented musician with a huge network of generous talented musicians and artists. The event grew by the sheer dint of her personality!

In 2014 (the event’s 5th year), we successfully applied for our first Discretionary Ward Allowance from Charles Sturt Council with WACRA as the auspicing body. We received a grant of approximately $1,500, using this money to pay the bands a nominal fee (they had played for nothing in previous years), buy solar lights and other sundries, and pay insurance. Charles Sturt Council printed flyers for us, which I mostly letterboxed in the area surrounding Kirkcaldy Park. Some locals from the surrounding streets came which was great. The rest were friends (mostly local, but some from further away) and WACRA members. At the high point, there were over 100 people. I remember us dancing to a DJ at 10.30 pm (we would start at 7.30 pm). It was surreal – the park was festooned with solar lights, candles flickered everywhere, and the feeling of goodwill and love for our planet was felt by all. They clamoured for more. In 2015, we successfully applied for a second Discretionary Ward Allowance. Angie was fired up. What an organiser! We were a great triumvirate, each with a complementary skillset. Angie was an outrageous MC and the audience loved her!

A big thank you goes to the bands and individual performers: The Dudleys, the GovGlees Choir, the Weeping Angels, SaSamba (Brazilian beats drumming group), Willy Didgeridoo and

DJ, the Memes, Just us, the Gypsy Junkies, Lord Stompy, and more! They played using a battery-operated amp, as we wanted to be as authentic to the principle of caring for the Earth as possible. Thanks also go to Vikki Ferguson for her ‘Light, Camera, Action’ interactive visual performance and to Fernando Gonçalves for his brilliant photography.

From 2017-19, we moved Earth Hour to my house in Grange. It was getting too difficult logistically to have it in Kirkcaldy Park. Too much red tape. It was just as much of a success. The bands played (for free) on my little deck and the backyard was filled with lovers of the Earth. Our friends were growing. They donated generously to Earth Hour. The last year it was held (2019) we raised over $500. Donations went to both local and national environmentally focused organisations such as the Nature Conservation Society of South Australia and the Wilderness Society.

Earth Hour often falls on or near my birthday – 26 March – as it is nearly always the last Saturday in March. I have just discovered that it falls on my birthday in 2022. We are already planning a local revival of this symbolic initiative!

Andrea Rankin (left) at the raffle table with Vicki Hyde, laughing at something the MC said