What is it and when is it

(CNN) – Tonight people from all over the world will turn off their lights for an hour. It is part of a global campaign called Earth Hour.

What is Earth Hour?

Earth Hour is an annual tradition started by the World Nature Fund (WWF) in 2007 in Sydney, Australia, to raise awareness about climate change. Participants in More than 190 countries They will turn out their lights for an hour on Saturday.

World landmarks – such as the Sydney Opera House, the Gateway of India, the Phoenix Center Beijing in China, the Brandenburg Gate in Germany, the Colosseum in Italy, the Empire State Building in the United States and Christ the Redeemer in Brazil – will turn out their lights to display their support for the campaign.

What is the purpose of Earth Hour?

The WWF describes the event as a symbol of “unity” and “hope” for a sustainable future.

“Earth Hour aims to raise awareness and spark global conversations about protecting nature, tackling the climate crisis and working together to shape a better future for all of us,” says WWF. on the site Earth Hour.

The Earth Hour campaign has led to other actions related to containing climate change. For example, the Uganda branch of the World Wildlife Fund created the first “Earth Hour Forestin 2013. In addition, Argentina used its 2013 Earth Hour campaign to help pass a bill in the Senate to marine protected area 3.4 million hectares in the country, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature.

How can I participate?

You can mark Earth Hour by turning off the lights from 8:30 to 9:30 PM in your local time zone.

Earth Hour official website Seven ways fans can spend the hour without lightsincluding reconnecting with nature and attending local Earth Hour events in their communities.

The WWF also recommends that its supporters “take action beyond the hour, whether that’s supporting a local WWF project, participating in Earth Hour campaigns in your country, or starting a movement in your community.”

This article was published in 2022 and has been updated