On Sat 19 March, 2016, at 8.30pm, thousands of men, women and children, businesses, shops, restaurants, cafés and hotels will join together and bring darkness to Wales by turning off the lights. As energy prices continue to rise, this national switch off has nothing to do with saving money but has everything to do with saving the planet.
Orchestrated by the World Wide Fund for Nature – an international non-governmental organisation founded on April 29, 1961 – Earth Hour is an annual celebration of consideration for the future of our planet; a chance to put the spotlight firmly on climate change and to encourage the population to adopt a sustainable lifestyle. To swear allegiance to helping reduce our CO2 emissions, Welsh landmarks such as the Senedd and Caerphilly Castle will take part, along with colleges and universities – such as Swansea and Bangor – and local councils, including Carmarthenshire, Conwy and Cardiff.
But this event isn’t just confined to Wales – all around the globe people will be joining in and switching off. Earth Hour first took place in Sydney Australia in 2007 and the number of countries taking part has now reached 172 and is still growing. “Climate change is not just the issue of the hour, it’s the issue of our generation,” said Sudhanshu Sarronwala, Chair, Board of Directors, Earth Hour Global. “Earth Hour is the world’s most enduring people’s movement focused on climate. The lights may go out for one hour, but the actions of millions throughout the year will inspire the solutions required to change climate change.”
UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon said, “Earth Hour shows what is possible when we unite in support of a cause: no individual action is too small, no collective vision is too big. This is the time to use your power.” So if you don’t want to be part of the problem then be part of the solution. We can all make a difference by signing up and pledge our support for Earth Hour. It may be only one light bulb but every little light counts.
Earth Hour, Sat 19 Mar. Info: www.wwf.org.uk
words LYNDA NASH