Earth Hour: 107 nations show their support

AT 8.30 PM tomorrow - Saturday, 27 March - hundreds of millions of people will be joining together to give the Earth a break, from our rampant fossil fuel guzzling, that is. You might wonder what good a single hour can do, but I think the real benefit of the campaign is the symbolic gesture of support for the battle against climate change.

It’s the fourth annual Earth Hour, WWF International’s global event that began in Sydney in 2007, in which people, businesses and cities turn off their lights and other electric appliances for an hour. From one Australian city the campaign is now a huge international success.

Following comparatively humble beginnings, Earth Hour has grown with each passing year. Already over 100 countries and 1100 cities and towns have signed up to give their official support — many more than at this time last year. You can register yourself or your organisation as a participant here.

One hour in which humanity’s collective carbon footprint will shrink dramatically. One hour to symbolise the need for a wider environmental consciousness. Could we do more than this, more often? Greg Bourne, CEO of WWF Australia, says that this year the campaign is going beyond a one-hour gesture. “We want people to make a resolution to do something this year to reduce the size of their footprint,” he told the media. '”This could be as simple as using more public transport, sourcing locally produced food, reducing the amount of packaging and waste in your home, or switching to renewable energy.”

As we will be doing here at AG, why not throw a candle-lit party at home,  join in an Earth Hour community event, or get family and friends together to brainstorm some ideas for Earth Hour energy-saving resolutions? And if you’re having trouble thinking of things to do with the lights off, try these (polite) suggestions from WWF.

LINKS
Earth Hour website

VIDEO: Candle light drinks in front of Sydney's Opera House, Earth Hour 2009