With storms, floods and news that our Reef is experiencing its fourth significant bleaching event in just six years, there has possibly never been a more important time to act for the good of our environment.
This Saturday 26 March is Earth Hour, when Australians are being called on to sign up to switch off lights for an hour and join a worldwide community of millions supporting stronger action on climate change. This year, you could also win a 7-day trip to Northern Queensland.
While the impact of Earth Hour is hard to measure, as it’s more about awareness than tangible change, there have been some concrete, connected effects. In 2013, an ‘Earth Hour Forest’ was launched by WWF Uganda to restore 2,700 hectares of degraded land, while ‘solar trees’ have been set up across in Shanghai which allow the public to charge their phones with renewable energy. A 2014 study looked at energy usage across ten countries during Earth Hour, and found it dropped by an average of 4 percent.
The action also gives all of us an opportunity to consider changes we might make to our habits, lifestyle and homes, and talk with the kids about what concerns they might have.
So wherever you are, Switch off and #ShapeOurFuture this Earth Hour at 8.30 pm local time, Saturday 26 March – and sign up on the earthhour.org.au website to go in the draw to win a 7-day trip for two to Northern Queensland!
