I dropped by City Centre Beirut last Saturday to take part in their Earth Hour activation. For those who are not familiar with the movement, Earth Hour is a global initiative that aims at turning 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.

In addition to turning off the mall’s lights, City Center Beirut had a small set-up from 10AM till 8PM where customers were able to select a seed to plant and take home some tips on how to nourish and take care of the plant. I took Brian and let him plan his own thyme plant. It got a bit messy and we ended up with more soil on the floor than in the pot but it was fun. All those who took part also got a seed pencil to take home.

Such incentives may not help much in reducing pollution in our country but they are essential to make individuals and companies more environmentally conscious and help them made substantial changes to their lifestyles.