Photo by Greg Rakozy on Unsplash.
Now here’s a date to put in your diary and it’s something we can all do from home!
It is Earth Hour on Saturday 28 March at 8.30pm, so why not join millions around the world by participating and making a difference?
The current COVID-19 crisis has showed us how quickly the environment can begin to recover when we humans get out of the way and cut down consumption of energy and resources. During this crisis the skies have cleared over China and air quality improved, and the water in the canals in Venice is clearer, even if that is, as some suggest, only due to the lack of boat traffic stirring up the water and sediment.
It’s also good to be informed about Earth Hour as major landmarks around New Zealand and the world have signed up to participate, including the Sky Tower. So if you live in Auckland city and see the lights out for example, don’t freak out. It’s not Armageddon even though it feels a bit like that right now.
Ways to take part include turning off the lights in your house for an hour and take this opportunity to wrap up in a cosy blanket, sit outside with those in your bubble and look up at the stars.
If it’s raining or you can’t see the stars, light some candles and open a bottle of wine. Or have a candlelight family round table discussion over cups of hot chocolate and cookies about what we can do as individuals to combat climate change, and ideas for how we can do things differently when the world is out of lockdown, to protect the environment.
If turning out the lights is not an option for you, there are other ways to support.
The Earth Hour global organising team is recommending individuals to take part in Earth Hour digitally this year because of the exceptional circumstances with countries around the world experiencing a health crisis with COVID-19.
Different ways to connect online include tuning in online to one of Earth Hour’s on-the-night live streams; making your voice heard, digitally, by signing the Voice for the Planet petition; sharing your on-the-night experiences using the hashtag #EarthHour and tagging @EarthHour on Facebook and Twitter, and @EarthHourOfficial on Instagram; or countdown the hour with EarthHour’s #DanceForThePlanet challenge and #FlipTheSwitchChallenge.
