2019 is the 12th year of Earth Hour but it is also the second year of its #Connect2Earth global theme which calls for an urgent need to care for the Earth’s biological diversity. Central to this theme is the continuing focus on the issue of single-use plastics.
What began in 2008 in Manila (Earth Hour first started in Sydney in 2007) as a campaign to create awareness of climate change has evolved into the world’s grassroots movement to raise awareness on the importance of biodiversity as a viable resource link that families, communities, nations, and future generations all depend upon.
(L-R) WWF-Philippines President and CEO Joel Palma, AIS Development Executive of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines Yasser Sarona, WWF-Philippines Climate and Energy Program Head and Earth Hour Pilipinas National Director Atty. Gia Ibay, WWF-Philippines National Ambassador Iza Calzado, WWF-Philippines National Youth Ambassador Janine Gutierrez, and WWF-Philippines National Ambassador Rovilson Fernandez. Photograph courtesy of Alo Lantin / WWF-Philippines
Save the date – March 24, 2018. On this day, Filipinos nationwide will be observing Earth Hour for the 11th straight year. Its theme, #Connect2Earth, is a campaign to strengthen awareness about biodiversity and climate action.
Earth Hour Flashback
Earth Hour began originally in Sydney on March 31, 2007. The year after, in 2008, Manila joined in. My family and I participated by turning off our house lights. I’ve been trying to participate in some way since then. Initially Earth Hour just involved turning off lights everywhere. Malls and public places began organizing events around this lights-off highlight. But in 2011, Earth Hour launched its theme “Going Beyond the Hour” to encourage all participant cities to do more than just turn lights off for an hour. Today, Earth Hour participants span over 7,000 cities and 180 countries and territories with many sustainable and energy-saving activities year-long. In the Philippines, for example, these Beyond the Hour activities involve:
The deployment of portable solar lamps to replace dangerous and dirty kerosene lamps in Palawan and Mindoro.
The sharing of best practices for communities via the One Planet City Challenge.
The dissemination of climate change solutions via environmental education sessions, training modules, heavy media engagements, and talks.
March 25 will be a big switch-off event for Earth Hour 2017, now on its 10th year in the Philippines. Once again, the World Wide Fund (WWF) spearheads the event, with even more partners collaborating to make this a memorable and sustainable endeavor.
From 8:30 to 9:30 PM on March 25, most iconic landmarks all over the world will switch lights off. In the Philippines, the main switch-off event will happen at SM by the Bay, Mall of Asia Complex from 7PM to 10PM on March 25, Saturday night. An Earth Hour Camp starts as early as 4PM featuring interactive climate adaptation and mitigation booths like native tree planting, renewable energy technologies, and disaster go-bag preparation.
On this day, people all over the world will turn off their appliances and lights for one hour starting at 8:30 PM.
We can no longer ignore the effects of climate change. Just see the frequency and intensity of earthquakes happening around the world. In my own country, the Philippines, we are now experiencing a very harsh El Nino with very little rain and drought in many agricultural places. Last year, we were hit by Typhoon Ondoy which brought floods to Metro Manila in places that have never experienced floods. Many other countries are experiencing freak weather activities as well.
Rather than leave it up to the different governments around the world to do something about it, we should act as individuals, living on this one and only home planet of ours, to make changes and adapt greener and more eco-friendly lifestyles.
You can support Earth Hour by:
1. Turning off your lights at 8.30PM on March 27 2. Showing your support and adding yourself to the Earth Hour world map 3. Adding Earth Hour widgets, logos and banners to your blog or website to help us spread the word 4. Talking about Earth Hour in your social network by updating your Facebook status, grabbing a Twibbon, tweeting about your support, and more 5. Get together with your friends and family, by hosting an Earth Hour party or holding your own candlelit affair 6. Rally your local council or community group to run an Earth Hour event for your community 7. Encourage your employer and workmates to take part in Earth Hour and make energy savings every day 8. Make an Earth Hour Lantern as a symbol of hope for the future 9. Be creative! Find a new way to mark Earth Hour and let Earth Hour know all about it!
This will be the third year that my family will be joining this endeavor. Here are my 2008 and 2009 posts on it.
