Stay in the dark for a little to finally see what needs visibility. This is the goal of the Earth Hour, a symbolic act organized annually by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), since 2007. It always happens on the last Saturday of March, each year. As a way to warn the world population about global warming and its negative impacts on the environment, every year, people, companies, and public monuments are invited to voluntarily turn off their lights for one hour and just listen to what our ambient is shouting.
In addition to this traditional and voluntary black-out, the Earth Hour date used to be celebrated with lectures and other events of awareness and activism. This year, the occasion will be a little different. Due to the current pandemic situation, WWF is planning fully virtual actions to bring people from all around the world together for the environmental cause. Incredible, right? Do you want to discover what you can do to join the Earth Hour and make a change without leaving home? Just keep reading!
- Switch off your lights for an hour!
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From 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm, turn off all the lights in your house! The most symbolic act promoted in the Earth Hour is an invitation to disconnect ourselves from what surrounds us and reflect on our planet’s situation and needs. Switching off the lights is a demonstration of support for the cause and a reminder that we can work together for a better world!
Curious fact: It was to increase the impact of this act that the WWF chose to celebrate this event every last Saturday of March. That date was chosen due to its proximity to the autumn equinox, in the Southern Hemisphere, and the spring one, in the Northern Hemisphere. At this specific time of the year, the end of the day happens practically at the same time in both hemispheres and this allows a greater visual impact when all our lights are switched off. Then, we can see clearly that we’re all in this together. Beautiful, right?
- Take part in Virtual Spotlight
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This year, the WWF is promoting the first-ever Earth Hour Virtual Spotlight! The idea is to show our support and give visibility to the topic also on social networks. Taking part in this initiative is very simple: On the night of March 27th, at the time when we’ll be with our lights off, the Earth Hour page will post a video on its social media – and all you have to do is share it! You can retweet, share your story, send it to your friends, comment, tag someone… The goal is to spread this message and put the environmental discussion under the spotlight even online!
- Attend or organize an event
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Want to spend March 27th learning and debating Ambiental issues with people from all around the world? You can do it! The Earth Hour website has a list of several events that will happen throughout the day – and you can watch as many as you want with just one click!
Oh, and if you have something to say, you can also organize your event of awareness and register it on the official website! You can do a live stream talking about nature loss and climate change, share tips on how to be more sustainable, host a guided meditation or workout in the dark, or even if you’re a singer or a musician, you can perform live for the cause! And if you’re unable to do a live stream, you can also pre-record content and videos to schedule a YouTube premiere or a Facebook Watch Party on the Hour!
- Learn more about nature loss and climate change
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Awareness is the first step towards change! So why not use this Hour to learn more about environmental issues? On the Earth Hour website, there is a special page that gathers several videos, texts, and journalistic articles that explain more about global warming, nature loss, and actions that can help to solve these problems. Just dive in!
- Petition for change
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Another way of showing that you care is by joining online petitions! Also on the Hour’s website, you can sign the Voice for the Planet, a petition to let global leaders know that you demand urgent political actions to protect our planet. To add your voice to that request for a new deal for nature and people, the only thing you need to do is sign your name, e-mail, and location on their webpage. You can do it right now only by clicking here!
- Share your story
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Do you have an inspiring story to tell the world? Share it! Post a photo on your Instagram with the hashtag #VoiceForNature. Use the caption to tell who you are, where you’re from, why nature is important to you, and what you’re doing to protect our planet. All these reports will be collected and featured on the Earth Hour’s website and social pages. Let the world hear your voice – our planet’s one will be heard as a consequence!
Did you see it? Doing our part can be much simpler than we think! At that moment, even staying home is a political deal. So, how about being at home, turning off the lights and helping as you can? If there’s one thing that the Earth Hour proves to us is that small acts can bring big changes.
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The article above was edited by Amanda Oestreich.
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