From Sydney to Singapore, millions of people in 178 countries reportedly switched off lights for an hour starting at 8:30 local time in support of the campaign, which was started in 2007 by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Cities from other regions around the world will follow later Saturday.
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Avoiding an age of effect and acting to make our planet a safer, cleaner, better place to be might start with this gesture, Earth Hour is, after all, just a gesture really, but awareness and involvement begin with gestures, that’s why we are taking part.
(Maurizio degl’Innocenti/ANSA via AP)The Palazzo Vecchio is seen with its lights switched off on the occasion of the 10th annual Earth Hour, in Florence, Italy, Saturday, March 19, 2016.
(AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko). COMBINATION PHOTO – This two photo combination picture shows after and before lighting is switched off to mark Earth Hour, with the Kremlin, left, and st. Basil Cathedral, right, on Red Square in Moscow, Russia, Sa…
WWF-SA CEO Mornè du Plessis will be at the V&A Waterfront tonight where all non-essential lights will be switched off for the hour.
Organised and run by Bee’ah’s School of Environment team, Bee’ah’s Earth Hour Community Event 2016, also offered some fun activities surrounding the main event, including glow-in-the-dark mask and t-shirt painting, jar decoration, and hand-printings on canvas.
In Mumbai several government and private buildings, public landmarks as well as common citizens contributed to “cooling” the Earth by switching off lights for an hour between 830PM and 930PM.
“As the world stands at a climate crossroads, Earth Hour has ensured that the demand for climate action echoes across the globe, from glass skylines to digital timelines”, said Das.
It was not immediately clear how many Canadians took part in this year’s Earth Hour.
While Earth Hour grew to include 7,000 cities worldwide last year, some say the event has been losing steam in recent years, at least in Canada.
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Philippines also marked the event with hundreds of environmental activists, students and movie and TV celebrities joining the event.
