How to make your Earth Hour count
The clock has been counting down and this year the alarm bell rings loud and clear. We’re in the third month of 2017 already, the third month of a year that many have welcomed less than enthusiastically given the political developments of 2016. Yet, if you’re concerned about the planet then listen up because March is also the month of Earth Hour.
‘What is ‘Earth Hour’?’ You may well ask! If you haven’t yet come across anyone mysteriously snooping off to switch the lights off for an hour every year – let me enlighten you! It is a global event that has been growing in popularity since its inception in Sydney, Australia in 2007. Those participating, be they individuals, groups or businesses, switch their lights off for a full 60 minutes. During the darkened hour the idea is to celebrate the natural world through a range of fun activities. People choose to celebrate individually, in groups, as families or by partaking in much larger events. The main goal is to put the battle against climate change and an appreciation of our planet at the forefront of everyone’s minds for one day a year while saving a considerable amount of energy in the process. The World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) heads up the event and with their powerful marketing driving the message forward, it has now amassed a following of mainstream support. According to the WWF website: https://www.wwf.org.uk/, Earth Hour was celebrated in over 178 countries in 2017. This year, in the UK, the bill of organised events features a screening of Leonardo DiCaprio’s climate change film ‘Before the Flood’, forest stargazing and a quirky UV party/paintathon to pick a few examples.
Sounds interesting right? If you’re thinking of joining in you needn’t have to worry about making time to travel to an event. Instead you could make it part of a fun and social weekend. After switching off my lights, I’ve chosen everything from cooking a candlelit dinner for my partner with a surprise dessert of homemade Panda cupcakes to a walk in the dark and a candlelit bath! This year I’ve planned an evening in sharing favourite stories and poems with a friend. For me, the enjoyment and satisfaction really comes from making this one day a year an opportunity to get creative and just have fun while trying to show solidarity with others who want to help climate change efforts. So often we can feel disheartened and helpless when confronted with endless news stories of increasingly threatened animal species and climate change warnings. So much so that we feel that it’s all too much and we can’t make a difference. Earth Hour stands out because it’s designed so that individuals can participate and help in whatever way they can and all together the message it sends is strong. Whatever you choose to do this year enjoy it, share your photos and stories online and know that it’s all worth it!
Are you planning on taking part this Saturday 25th March? Have you taken part before? Share your Earth Hour stories below…
