Earth Hour is a global event organized by WWF that aims to encourage households and businesses to turn off their non-essential lights and other electrical appliances for one hour to raise awareness towards the need to take action on climate change. Held on the last Saturday of March annually, the campaign first came to public attention on March 31 in 2007, when 2.2 million homes and businesses in Sydney, Australia participated by turning off all non-essential lights.
Success story since its existence:
After the Earth Hour took off in 2007, there has been no looking back. With each passing year, it has gone bigger and better. In 2008, more than 50 million people participated across 371 cities and towns in more than 35 countries globally. The year 2009 brought hundreds of millions of people in more than 4,000 cities and towns across 88 countries together showing their concern for climate change.
What people and organizations are doing for Earth Hour 2010:
In support of WWF’s Earth Hour, Arkadin Global Conferencing has created Climate Care Day, which has been designed to encourage businesses to have a working day without business travel, for one day. To be held on Friday March 26, the business initiative aims to encourage more sustainable ways of working. A network of environmentalists and conservationist, Friends of the Irish Environment (FIE) joined the Earth Hour in 2008. They have engaged people to spread awareness about the Earth hour. Another marketing agency, Wunderman wanted to do its bit for the cause by formulating an eco-friendly way to carry their staff to the office building and encouraging them to support the cause. It created developed plant spikes that could be planted into office pot plants.
How you can support Earth Hour?
Earth Hour is not for any country or religion; rather it is open to all. Be it a business, a school or even an individual for that matter. Everyone can show their support for the cause, all you have to do is turning off your lights for an hour at 8.30PM on March 27. Well even adding Earth Hour logos and banners to you blogs or websites could do wonders in promoting the event. All you people who love social networking could talk about it on the social networking sites like facebook and twitter. Spread a word about the event in your workplace. I have suggested a few things you can do; now it’s your call to choose one or come up with your own innovative idea.
Why get involved?
This planet is ours and if we don’t think about preserving it then who else will. Earth Hour has given us the medium to start thinking about the issue of climate change a little more seriously. It’s not just about turning off light for an hour, there is more to it. It about encouraging people to create a sustainable low carbon future for our planet. So, let’s show our concern and give a helping hand to this wonderful initiative.