Earth Hour is an annual event (March 28 from 8:30-9:30p) during which participants turn off lights and non-essential electronics in homes and business for one hour simultaneously around the world. The event is a symbolic “wave of darkness” that encircles the globe, encouraging hundreds of millions of people to participate in the largest single environmental event on the planet. Earth Hour began as a lights-off event, to raise awareness about climate change, in Sydney, Australia, in 2007. Since then it has grown to engage more than 162 countries and territories worldwide.
To participate, the first thing you can do is turn off non-essential lights for this one hour on Saturday (Mar 28, 8:30-9:30 pm local time) as a symbol of your commitment to the planet. If you plan on burning candles during Earth Hour, make sure you use 100% beeswax candles or soy candles, which are gentler on our planet—smoke free, non-toxic, and non-allergenic. Mainstream petroleum candles release more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Beeswax and soy candles are effectively carbon neutral (the CO2 they emit has already been taken from the atmosphere to produce the wax). If you use candles, remember to take care and observe fire safety. Many communities are now replacing candles with LED lights for community events, as a way to promote energy efficient lighting, and still have enough light for the event.
For the bigger picture, people are encouraged to take action beyond the hour. The vision is for this symbolic action to be the beginning of one’s journey, and encourage people to find ways to do more. The intent is for people to take accountability for their ecological footprint and engage in dialogue and resource exchange that provides real solutions to our environmental challenges.
Earth Hour is a charitable organization based out of Singapore, whose mission is uniting people to protect the planet. They are an open source movement organized by WWF [World Wide Fund For Nature (also known as World Wildlife Fund)] and volunteer organizations worldwide.
Earth Hour hashtags:
#CoMoEarthHour
#EarthHour
#YourPower
Animal Jam is an online virtual playground for children who love animals and the outdoors, and is the result of an ongoing creative collaboration between Smart Bomb Interactive and National Geographic Society. The goal is to provide a fun, exciting, and safe environment for kids to play online, while inspiring them to explore and protect the natural world outside their doors.
Click here or on the image to create an account and start playing for free!
