Preena Premdev
Background:
World Earth Hour is one of the most rudimentary movements for the environment. World Earth Hour was started by the World Wildlife Fund in Sydney as a symbolic lights-out event in 2007[1]. By switching off your lights on March 25 at 8:30 pm, you will join millions of others in 190 different countries in support of our planet.
There are a number of prominent landmarks that take part in this event: from the Empire State Building in New York City, the Venetian in Las Vegas, to the Space Needle Seattle in Washington.These landmarks use this hour to represent their commitment to the planet.
How did this event begin?
World Earth Hour stemmed from Sydney, Australia in 2004 as a way to engage Australians in climate change. The idea of a large-scale switch was coined and developed in 2006, originally under the working title the “Big Flick”. In October 2007, San Francisco ran its own “lights out” program inspired by the Sydney Earth Hour.[2]
Earth Hour 2008 was held internationally on March 29, 2008 from 8 pm to 9 pm local time, marking the first anniversary of the event. 35 countries around the world participated as official cities and over 400 cities supported the cause. Landmarks around the world turned off their non-essential lighting for Earth Hour. Some websites even took part in the event, with Google’s homepage going “dark” on the day.
Different countries celebrate World Earth Hour on different dates and times due to the discordance with their local traditions and holidays – however, by 2010, 126 countries officially participated in World Earth Hour.
How can you participate?
- Turn off your lights for an hour (60 minutes) at 8:30 pm local time on March 25, 2023
- Unplug any appliances
Things you can do under an hour:
- Read articles about biodiversity, nature loss, or climate change
- Watch an educational video
- Listen to a podcast or talk
- Play board games by candlelight
- Candlelit yoga
- Stargazing or walking outdoors
- Host a movie trivia night
- Guided meditation
- Take a bath
- Find ways to reconnect with our planet.[3]
“Preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we’ve ever known”- Carl Sagan.
[1] World Wildlife Fund. “Earth Hour 2023.” Accessed March 20, 2023. https://support.worldwildlife.org/site/SPageServer/?pagename=earth_hour_2023.
[2] “FAQs,” Earth Hour, accessed March 20, 2023, https://www.earthhour.org/faqs.
[3] “Give an Hour,” Earth Hour, accessed March 20, 2023, https://www.earthhour.org/take-part/give-an-hour?hsCtaTracking=2fe7beed-3b74-459a-8bc5-61ba0fb64e9c%7C06e3e85a-4d6c-40f9-bdda-4dcc27d10886.