Earth Hour is made for a purpose to inspire people to become more environmentally conscious and to renew their commitment to protecting the environment.
This 2024, Earth Hour takes place on March 23 from 8:30PM to 9:30PM, and it is a great time to show how much we care for the Earth and its environment. Turning off the lights during this hour is the first step toward becoming involved and aware. However, there are more things that you can do to support this advocacy.
In this article, we will give you activities that you can do during Earth Hour.
What is Earth Hour and Why do we Celebrate Earth Hour?
Earth Hour is an annual event founded by the World Wildlife Fund to raise awareness about climate change. Aimed at inspiring more people to become involved in climate action and activism and rekindle their commitment to protecting the environment, it is a global grassroots movement that unites people to take action on environmental issues. With the growth of the global movement, the annual one-hour lights out event remains an expression of more widespread dedication to our environment and the health of our planet. Every March, people all across the world turn off their lights and non-essential gadgets for 60 minutes.
Why is Earth Hour so important? Here are the main reasons.
It Promotes Action and Creates Awareness
Earth Hour combines environmental advocacy with Earth Hour campaigns in tens of thousands of countries worldwide. Beyond only supporting the environment, Earth Hour has evolved to include promoting global unity, utilizing the power of humanity, and pushing for legislative changes that benefit the environment. In addition to encouraging action, raising awareness is a major factor of celebrating Earth Hour. Every year, as Earth Hour approaches, there is a lot of buzz on social media about environmental issues that are spreading--making it effective in raising awareness.
It Aims to Protect the Nature from Environmental Problems like Climate Change
The necessity for environmental protection from problems, like climate change or global warming, is being raised by Earth Hour. Every year, nature provides us with a lot of resources like food, clean water, and air. The purpose of the Earth Hour event is to let us envision our future selves in the moment that we give up on protecting the environment and with that, it would push us to strive toward bettering and protecting the resources that nature provides.
It Brings People Together
Charging your phone, watching TV, even using usual appliances like the fridge or fans--It's pretty sure that most of us are so used to using electricity, that we may be unable to sit by ourselves in the dark because we are so dependent on it. Earth Hour serves as a reminder that we must work together to find a solution to climate change, regardless of whether you live alone, with friends or family, or participate in a collaborative event. By 2020, more than 180 nations will have participated in Earth Hour, when millions of people everywhere will turn out their lights to help the environment. Not only does this movement bring out a very relevant advocacy, it also brings people closer and more connected as we all take action for the same cause.
Earth Hour Movement: 5 Earth Hour Activities
Looking for a way to celebrate Earth Hour? Here are a few ideas and simple activities you can do to support and contribute to the Earth Hour movement while the lights are off.
Candlelit Dinner or Evening Picnic
Prepare your food ahead of time, spread out a blanket in the living room or outside if you prefer a picnic dinner, and ready the candles to lighten the place. Enjoying the food served at dinner in your condo or the picnic you planned to eat outside can help us form close bonds with our family, friends, and relatives while keeping up on each other's life. If the food you prepared has zero waste, that's even better!
Offline Games at Home
There are numerous games that you can start playing with others as soon as you unplug from the internet. Invite some friends or family members and play as many games as possible. Play board games like scrabble or chess or just easy trivia quizzes that don't require an internet connection or electricity to pass the time as you entertain yourselves.
Go Out for a Night Walk or Go Stargazing
Even though it could be dark outside, if the weather permits, this could be an amazing opportunity to take a stroll through the city at night or take in the beauty of the stars at the night sky. Go out of your condo at night and observe your surroundings in a whole new light. If you have binoculars or a telescope, the buildings with the lights off will make the stars appear brighter.
Make a Resolution–and Commit to it
Earth Hour is a great moment as any to make a resolution to lessen your environmental impact. Do one or more of the small activities that can contribute to environmental conservation, such as turning off the lights when leaving a room, planting more trees, implementing zero-waste habits, or switching to e-billing to save paper. These are all actions that will benefit the hurting earth and be beneficial to coming generations--we just have to commit to it.
Spread Awareness
Now this one, you can do even outside of Earth Hour. Not everyone on the planet is aware of Earth Hour. Help in informing as many people as possible about the goals, the message, and the word of the movement. Encourage individuals to learn about energy-saving appliances and other ecologically friendly practices, such as recycling, planting more trees, turning on lights more frequently, and washing clothing in cold water to save energy and water.
Does Earth Hour Make a Difference?
The short answer to this question is yes! This advocacy is to make us more conscious of what we do and encourage us to adopt eco-friendly habits. Earth Hour is progressively making a difference, and it can be a lot better.
A step in fulfilling our collective responsibility towards this advocacy is our commitment to the planet to participate in Earth Hour. Our world can be revived if we are together in making little but meaningful changes. Slow progress is progress, and with these small things we do, we can make a positive impact for our planet Earth.
Let's work together and make our world a little better!
