Earth hour: what it is and how to take part
Environmental questions have been in order recently. These issues were, however, discussed before. Earth Hour is an excellent example of how a local event can become global. Here's what the Earth Hour is and how you can take part.
Doing our individual part for the environment doesn't have to feel overwhelming. Earth Hour is an event that takes place annually on the last Saturday of March between the hours of 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm. This simple but effective environmental movement was started by The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in 2007 and has since has gained worldwide participation with over 120 million people switching off their lights for the planet.
That's right, Earth Hour is a single hour where everyone is asked to switch off all non-essential lights and electronics to demonstrate the individual power we all have to affect energy consumption. This conservative effort was created not only to provide an easy way for people to get involved in helping the environment but also to call attention to the range of environmental issues our planet is faced with. Visit https://www.earthhour.org to see some of the highlights from Earth Hour 2019.
By participating, individuals are directly reducing their carbon footprint as well as supporting WWF in its efforts and initiatives to slow global warming. Some of the work WWF does include:
1 - Local communities
Working with local communities and collaborative partners to protect and restore the coral reefs in developing countries. Corals are crucial for both ocean and human life as they provide shelter for diverse marine ecosystems as well as protect our coastlines from sea and storm damage – see The Coral Reef Rescue.
2 - Freshwater
Running freshwater conservation projects in over 50 different countries to protect the mere 2.5% of the planet's total water that is freshwater. Plants and animals alike depend on freshwater for survival, and by 2030 it is estimated that half the world will face water scarcity – see The Value of Rivers.
3 - Protect the wildlife
Contributing to the triumphant rise of tiger and dolphin populations after 30+ years of decline through the protection of our oceans and forests – see Wildlife for more information.
No matter where you are in the world, you can make a positive impact on the planet by switching off your lights between 8:30-9:30 pm this March 28th, 2020 to celebrate Earth Hour.
And why stop there? Research your local community to find an Earth Hour event near you, or even organize your own. Traditions include doing a countdown before "going dark" and lighting candles in honour of conservation efforts worldwide. It only takes a small amount of action to create a significant amount of change when we work together, and Earth Hour 2020 provides the perfect opportunity.
The Earth Hour, of course, is just a small step in a journey that we have to make together. It will take more from people and corporations to fight climate change, and Holmes Place is aware of that. Stay tuned to find out what we will soon be changing.