While climate change is something that most people can now understand, it can sometimes be difficult to know what to do. That’s where Earth Hour comes in: this annual global event aims to raise awareness both of the cause and of the little things we can do to help reverse the effects of global warming. What is Earth Hour and how does it work? Here’s everything you need to know about Earth Hour 2022.
What is Earth Hour 2022 like?
Earth Hour 2022 is an event run by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to raise awareness of the climate crisis. It’s simple. Since 2007, people around the world have turned off their lights for an hour every Saturday in March. It’s a symbolic gesture that aims to ‘increase awareness and spark global conversations on protecting nature’.
When is Earth Hour 2022
The event takes place on Saturday March 26, between 8.30pm and 9.30pm. To show support for the environment and nature, participants are asked to turn off all lights during the event.
What happens during Earth Hour 2022
That’s up to you. If you’re taking part, the WWF recommends using the hour to reconnect with nature, cook an environmentally-sound meal or just spend some quality time with friends and family. There’s even an official Spotify playlist Earth HourYou can listen to. If you’re looking for something more challenging, you could use the time to log your details on the My Footprint appThe website calculates your environmental impact and suggests ways to improve it. The charity is also running a series of online and in-person events you can join, including storytelling in the dark and worksheets for children. Learn more Here.
What is Earth Hour 2022 trying?
Earth Hour is trying to solve the issue of climate change by bringing it to the attention of Individuals, businesses, and government. The gesture is supposed to demonstrate how many people across the world care about the environment, and shift policy in the right direction.
Marco Lambertini is the director-general of WWF International, said: ‘Whether it is a decline in pollinators, fewer fish in the ocean and rivers, disappearing forests or the wider loss of biodiversity, the evidence is mounting that nature is in free fall.
‘This is because of the way we live our lives and run our economies. Protecting nature is our moral responsibility but losing it also increases our vulnerability to pandemics, accelerates climate change and threatens our food security.’
How can Earth Hour 2022 benefit the environment?
The impact of Earth Hour is hard to measure, as it’s more about awareness than tangible change. There have been some concrete connected changes, though: in 2013, an ‘Earth Hour Forest’ was launched by WWF Uganda to restore 2,700 hectares of degraded land. And in Shanghai, ‘solar trees’ have been set up across the city which allow the public to charge their phones with renewable energy. 2014 Study looked at energy usage across ten countries during Earth Hour, and found it dropped by an average of 4 percent.
However, the event has its critics. Environmentalist Bjørn Lomborg has described Earth Hour as an ‘ineffective feel-good event’, while a spokesperson from the UK’s National Grid said that turning electricity off and on over a short period of time can actually increase emissions. We reckon that if you’re looking to take part in Earth Hour, it’s probably best to twin it with something more impactful, too.
Do you have five minutes to spare? Are you looking to tell us about the life in your area? Take the Time Out Index survey Here.