In 2007, 2.2 million individuals and businesses took a stand against climate change by turning off their lights for one hour in Sydney, Australia (earthhour.org). A year later, Earth Hour became a global initiative to take action on climate change and has become a movement by going beyond the hour and creating change on a governmental level (earthhour.org). This year the event will take place on Saturday, March 28th between 8:30 and 9:30PM. We can all participate by unplugging and switching off during that hour. However, Earth Hour is also a way to connect with your community. So, instead of just sitting in darkness in your home you can check out some of these events taking place in Toronto. You can learn about the events by checking out this link:
http://www.blogto.com/city/2015/03/the_top_5_ways_to_celebrate_earth_hour_2015_in_toronto/
Here is a little overview of the events listed in the article:
- Earth Hour Walk at Lambton House
- The Beaches 3rd Annual Earth Hour Lights Out! Event
- Lights Out With Mill Street
You can also make Earth Hour exciting in your own neighbourhood by getting everyone together on your block. Spend an hour outside with candles and lanterns and get to know one another. Maybe even make it an annual gathering with your neighbours. There are so many possibilities for creating a sense of community with Earth Hour. You may find yourself wanting to go beyond the hour and create change.
One way you can do this is by taking an Energy Pledge! Check out this link on how you can conserve energy on a daily basis:
http://sustainability.info.yorku.ca/sustainability-pledges/energy/
And if you’re wondering whether or not Earth Hour makes a difference, check out this article from Global News:
http://globalnews.ca/news/402110/fact-check-how-much-will-earth-hour-actually-help-the-environment/
If one hour can make that much a difference, imagine the results if we conserved energy every day.
Happy Earth Hour everyone!
Links:
http://wwf.panda.org/how_you_can_help/campaign/earth_hour/history_of_earth_hour/
