We now live in a more prosperous age than ever before.
In a city that is as bright as day even at night, heat and light spread out without rest.
We are straining the Earth to produce the energy we need.
The Earth is home not only to humans, but to all living things on Earth.
We need to do something before the planet becomes more difficult.


The 'Earth Lights Out Movement' started with this idea.
It started in Sydney, Australia.
In 2007, 2.2 million homes and businesses in Sydney pledged to turn off their lights simultaneously at a set time.
More people than expected participated in the 'Earth Lights Out Movement'.
As the years passed, it became an event that people from all over the world participated in.


Could turning off the lights for just an hour really save the planet? The amount of electricity used to power lights isn't that much, considering the electricity used elsewhere.
But it takes more energy to generate that electricity and send it to each home.
That's why turning off a fire saves the energy that goes into the whole process.
Some people might also think that turning off one light in their house would help.
But if those fires come together one by one and more than 100 million people join in, wouldn't energy consumption be reduced dramatically?

Gentle writing moves the heart

"March 31, 2007, 7:29 PM, Sydney, Australia.
A minute later, the city went dark.
What happened?
There was no power outage or accident that day.
It was the beginning of an hour for the Earth, right here where we live."

"One Hour for the Earth" is a book written with the hope that our children will cherish the Earth.
But I don't force you to do this or that.
It naturally arouses curiosity and slowly moves the heart.
When you turn the last page, it plants a little spark in your heart.
How about joining forces for "One Hour for the Earth," which will nurture a heart that cares for the Earth and loves our neighbors?

The delicate pen drawing comes across powerfully.
"One Hour for the Earth" is a picture book created with pen and ink.
As this is a picture book depicting the lights-out movement, it had to express darkness, but that darkness had to contain hope rather than despair.
Pen drawing was a great technique for expressing a warm darkness rather than pitch-black darkness.
I added some softness with colored pencils.
A warm picture that stimulates the viewer's emotions.
In the midst of the darkness spreading like dominoes with the lights going out in each house, a small hope shines in the picture.


An hour that is short, but by no means short.
What we can achieve during this one hour is not just visible results like 'reduced energy consumption'.
Wouldn't it be more meaningful to encourage us to think about what we can do for the Earth and inspire us to take action? If we all consider the fate of the Earth in our hands and work together, the future of the planet will undoubtedly be bright.