Earth Hour
is set for 8:30 today, Saturday, March 31 -- whether you’re in the world or in
space.( at participant's local time. )
On earth,
147 countries are expected to participate in the 60-minute switch-off, Earth
Hour co-founder and executive director Andy Ridley said in an interview with
Rappler.More than
5,200 cities and towns in 135 countries and territories participated in the
movement in 2011, reaching 1.8 billion people across the globe, added Ridley.And for the
first time, the International Space Station has signed up for the cause,
organizers declared.Stationed
approximately 400 kilometers above earth, astronaut André Kuipers will capture
the impact of the biggest environmental action in human history.
At 8:30 pm
tonight, we will join millions of people across the globe by switching of the lights
for one hour. Join us by turning off the lights at your home during this one
hour and share the moment with your family & friends. Consider how YOU too
can commit to an action that benefit the one thing we have in common – Our
Planet Earth.
What is earth hour?
Earth Hour is a worldwide event that is organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and is held on the last Saturday of March
annually, encouraging households and businesses to turn off their non-essential lights for one hour to raise awareness about the need to take action on climate change. Earth Hour was conceived by WWF and The Sydney
Morning Herald in
2007, when 2.2 million residents of Sydneyparticipated by
turning off all non-essential lights.Following Sydney's lead, many other cities around
the world adopted the event in 2008.Earth Hour 2012 will take place on March 31, 2012
from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., at participant's local time.
Beyond the hour
"This
year through digital media, we are offering a greater opportunity to connect
people with the desire to take much-needed action for the environment,” Ridley
said.
"We
are beginning to explore the possibility that we can have a global voice where
the issue is felt strongly enough by the people," he added.
But
Ridley would also like to usher the campaign beyond the hour.
"We
can go beyond voice to action, and we can go beyond action to change,"
Ridley said, emphasizing that Earth Hour is owned by its participants, from a
kid in a classroom to a political leader fighting for a clean energy future.
The
60-minute event gathers individuals, businesses and governments across the
globe, encouraging them to be responsible for their ecological footprint and to
provide solutions to pressing environmental issues.
What
can be done?
Rappler
will facilitate online conversations about how you can meaningfully observe
Earth Hour 2012 and beyond. Here are 3 ways by which you can participate:
1. Submit a 15-second video clip explaining
how you can help save and protect the environment to move.ph@rappler.com. Entries
will be put together as a montage.
2. Join the Twitter discussion that will be
held on March 31, from 4:30-8:30 pm using the hashtag #BeyondEarthHour. The discussion will end with a
call-out to switch off lights.
3. Let's continue the conversation beyond the
hour. Link up with Move.PH, Rappler's citizen journalism arm. Share stories
that inspire action and sustainable solutions. - Rappler.com
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