The Earth Hour campaign is asking the world to turn off the lights for one hour on March 31st to show support for climate action.
Earth Hour, a project organized by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), aims to raise awareness of sustainability and climate issues. The campaign’s goal is to motivate people to work together and voice their support for climate action. Originating in Sydney, Australia in 2007, the campaign has expanded to become an annual global event that involved millions of people across 135 countries in 2011. The campaign asks individuals, businesses and municipalities to turn off their lights for one hour on the last Saturday of March to “take a stand against climate change.”
Earth Hour also encourages supporters to go “Beyond the Hour” to participate in long-term climate action. In 2012, Earth Hour launched the I Will If You Will initiative, where individuals submit videos sharing what they’re willing to do if a certain number of people commit to a specific environmental action (such as base jumping off of a cliff if 1,000 people go vegetarian for a week). Additionally, the Earth Hour City Challenge competition rewards cities that are taking the lead on sustainable transit, building, energy and food systems.
