On March 31, 2007, more than 2.2 million Sydney, Australia residents and more than 2,100 business switched off their lights and non-essential electrical appliances for just one hour. Their actions made a powerful statement about global warming, and a global movement was born. That one single hour showed a 10.2 percent reduction in energy consumption across Sydney. Imagine the reduction percentage when Earth Hour is celebrated globally!
Earth Hour is an annual event hosted by the World Wildlife Fund, usually held on the last Saturday evening each March. Millions of people and businesses worldwide turn off their lights, shut down their non-essential electrical appliances and celebrate this glorious world that we live in as well as show their support for developing concepts that will help to solve our problem of global warming for our children.
What is the Purpose of Earth Hour?
The ultimate goal is to inspire people to reduce their carbon footprint and energy consumption on a daily basis – Earth Hour is just the beginning point. There are so many simple things that you can do to reduce your energy consumption each day.
- Unplug electronics you are not using such as televisions, computers, cell phone chargers, microwave ovens, toasters, etc.
- Switch to energy-efficient LED lights
- Turn off the lights when you leave a room
- Encourage your workplace to shut off lights and unplug unused appliances after working hours
- Adjust your thermostat to keep your home a little cooler in winter and a little warmer in summer
- Use less hot water – wash your clothing in cold temperatures, take shorter showers, wash your dishes by hand instead of using your dishwasher
What Am I Going to Do For An Hour In The Dark?
We have become such a technologically driven society that it just seems impossible for us to even think about being unplugged for a few minutes – let alone an entire hour! I’ve listed a few ideas below of things you can do, or you can check out the WWF Earth Hour 2014 page for additional ideas as well:
- Have a candlelight dinner with your partner
- Organize a community Earth Hour block party
- Hold a candlelight picnic with family and friends
- Laser light show for the kids – they all have those little pocket battery-powered laser lights. Let them put on a show!
- Play hide and seek with your kids
- Lay outdoors (weather permitting) and count the stars and discuss the solar system
- Take your pet for a stroll around the neighborhood
- Art In The Dark – take turns drawing different animals or objects in the dark to compare when the lights come back on
To learn more about Earth Hour and get involved, visit the Earth Hour website to pledge to turn your lights off for one hour on Saturday, March 29, 2014 beginning at 8:30 p.m. EST. Our goal is to have 20,000 pledges before Saturday evening.
Follow on Twitter @WWF and @earthhour and use hashtag #EarthHour to keep up with the latest information. Chat with us on Twitter or Google+ and tell us what your plans are for #EarthHour 2014.
See you on Saturday! I’ll be the redhead off to the side with a beeswax candle staring up at the night sky and counting the stars.
