“The Biggest Hour for Earth” happens today, March 23, when millions of people across the globe will switch off non-essential lights for 60 minutes from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. to celebrate our planet.
Known as “Earth Hour” since it started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia, the grassroots movement of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has the support of over 190 countries and territories where last year, 410,000 hours were given to planet Earth. The movement unites the world to create awareness on what each person can do to save the earth from the environmental issues affecting it, the biggest of which are climate change and biodiversity loss.
This year, WWF aims to “make the #BiggestHourForEarth even bigger, and once again create a moment the world can't miss.” To do this, the organizers are calling supporters to do more during the 60-minute Earth Hour – anything positive for the planet. It can be a conversation with the family on how to cut plastic waste, or a community gathering to launch a sustainable lifestyle activity.
This year’s theme is “Switch off plastic pollution; Give an hour for Earth.” In the Philippines where the third largest component of solid waste is composed of plastic waste and only nine percent of these are recycled, this theme hits hard. It should guide action to a specific problem where solutions can come from the households, communities and local government units.
As a country vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, we need to ask ourselves how we can address the waste problem which contributes to the plastic pollution of the world.
Today, as the world faces the challenge to keep global temperature below the 1.5°C global temperature increase limit set by the Paris Climate Agreement by 2030, man has to urgently step up with efforts to protect and restore the earth.
“The next seven years are therefore crucial to all our futures – we have to stay under the 1.5°C climate threshold to avoid irreversible damage to our planet, and we need to reverse nature loss by 2030, ending the decade with more nature than we started, not less,” WWF said.
That is why this Earth Hour is very important. The collective power of individuals and communities are needed. More people are needed to join this year’s Earth Hour.
“It is crucial to get involved if we want to raise awareness about the environmental challenges and bend the curve of biodiversity loss by 2030,” Kirsten Schuijt, WWF International director general, said.
In the Philippines, Earth Hour is held in partnership with the Department of Energy and other government agencies. The Earth Hour ceremonies tonight will be hosted and led by the City of Manila, one of the main partners.
Several iconic landmarks, including the city hall clock tower and Rizal Monument, will switch off their lights from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. joining the other major landmarks around the world that will be switched off tonight.
Today, Earth Hour has become more than just a symbolic movement, it has pushed legislative action in many countries. Among its successes are: the first Earth Hour Forest created by WWF-Uganda; in Argentina, the 2013 Earth Hour campaign helped pass a Senate bill for a 3.4 million hectares Marine Protected Area; education programs for schools were launched in Thailand and Taiwan; hundreds of thousands of LED lights were installed by girl scouts in the USA.
We all share the responsibility of protecting our planet Earth. This demands collective action from every corner of society!