Earth Hour: Turn off the switch to save the earth
Agency
March 25, 2023
Earth Hour: Turn off the switch to save the earth
Today, Earth Hour is a global event, with more than 190 countries participating. - File/REUTERS
EARTH Hour began in 2007, stemming from frustration about the inability to tackle climate change and protect nature.
On March 31, 2007, over 2.2 million individuals in Sydney, Australia turned off their lights for one hour, marking the beginning of the Earth Hour movement. Today, it is a global event, with over 190 countries participating.
Earth Hour is one of the world's largest environmental movements, which takes place every year with the same goal as in 2007, which is to unite the world in support of the planet.
10 interesting Earth Hour facts
1. It is one of the world's largest environmental movements organized by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and partners around the world, but led by the Earth Hour community.
2. It's been 16 years since Earth Hour started in 2007 as a small movement in Sydney, Australia.
3. It's more about rebuilding the connection than just shutting down. Earth Hour is a moment when the global community comes together and turns off the lights to show that they care about the future of the earth, our shared home.
4. Every year, hundreds of millions of people around the world, famous landmarks, local businesses and community groups around the world participate in Earth hour events and activities.
5. In 2020, Earth hour goes fully digital for the first time in the UK. In addition to turning off the lights, many people are connecting online by participating in digital events and live streams.
6. The world's first 'Earth Hour Forest' was launched by WWF Uganda, as part of their Earth Hour 2013 campaign to restore 2,700 hectares of degraded land.
7. Spider-Man became one of the first superheroes to become a global ambassador for the Earth Hour campaign in 2014, bringing much-needed attention and global reach to the Earth Hour movement.
8. In 2015, Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti joined the Earth Hour movement from space holding a 'Change Climate Change' sign, floating on the International Space Station.
9. The campaign led to a brilliant green innovation for charging phones. There are solar trees set up all over Shanghai during Earth Hour, allowing people to charge their mobile devices with renewable green energy.
10. Today, at 8.30pm local time, 25 March 2023, millions of homes around the world will turn off their lights as a sign of concern for the future of this earth.
