(VIDEO) WWF’s Earth Hour: We Will, If You Will

Thursday, February 28th, 2013

by Theras Wood

Concern for the future of the world is something each generation grapples with, in its own way. For the last six years, Earth Hour has been amplifying those concerned voices by ‘uniting the world to protect the planet.’

Organized by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Earth Hour encourages businesses and individuals to flick off all non-essential lights for one hour, one day a year — an estimable step toward spreading awareness of climate change and inspiring action.

Worldwide Awareness

Spawned by the WWF and The Sydney Morning Herald, Earth Hour only dates back to 2007 when 2.2 million homes and businesses in Sydney, Australia, cut their lights for an hour one evening.

The event spread quickly, reaching multiple cities across the globe by 2008. Six years later, with help from some celebrity advocates, over 150 countries now take part in Earth Hour.

Word has even travelled beyond Earth and into space: Last year, Earth Hour received an uplifting nod from Space Station astronaut, Andre Kuipers.

More recently, Earth Hour has moved beyond awareness, taking steps toward action by partnering with the former president of Botswana for the ‘One Million Trees: Plant For Life’ project — now part of Earth Hours’s 2013 I Will If You Will campaign. The partnership has committed to planting over one million trees in Botswana over the next four years.

Earth Hour 2013

So far, Earth Hour’s 2013 YouTube campaign has gained over four million advocates and 200,000 commitments from individuals, organizations and government bodies, taking “action for the planet far beyond the hour,” explains the site.

Celebs too are getting into the mix. This year, model Miranda Kerr pledged to hold a free yoga class if 500 people uploaded their Earth Hour challenges. You can check out, and take part in all the other challenges on YouTube, here.

All Eyes On Sustainability 

What Earth Hour is particularly concerned with is our overuse of fossil fuels, which increases CO2 in our atmosphere.

CO2 is a greenhouse gas that traps heat from the sun and heats the Earth. The resulting “dramatic weather patterns,” says Earth Hour, are causing “devastating natural disasters and shrinking the world’s ice shelves and glaciers due to warming sea water.” Ice is a solar reflector, it explains, and as more ice melts, the less the Earth can reflect the sun’s heat.

With CO2 emissions in mind, Earth Hour’s end goal is sustainability, believing that if we all do our part, the world could be completely dependant upon renewable energy, as soon as 2050.

It’s a formidable goal, but an admirable one.

Will you flick the switch on March 23rd?

We will, if you will.

@TherasWood is the writer and editor at @UrtheCast

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