Earth Hour

This action calls on individuals, municipalities and businesses around the world to show their commitment to fight global warming and to incite behavioural change towards low-carbon lifestyles and sustainable business practices.

SATURDAY MARCH 27 AT 8.30PM

You can send a clear message against climate change while turning off the lights in your house for sixty minutes. Surely, you won’t halt climate change by that, but it will be worthwhile to join this global campaign. Earth Hour is co-organised by WWF, the World Wildlife Fund - the biggest environmental and conservation organisation, as a symbol of hope for saving our planet and at the same time a warning that the countdown for runaway climate change has started.

The first Earth Hour took place in Sydney in 2007. Afterwards, it quickly turned into a global movement with hundreds of millions of people in 88 countries participating in 2009.

SWITCH OFF THE LIGHTS

After the failed UN Climate Summit in Copenhagen in December 2009, it will be all the more important to show the widest possible support and to build up the pressure on all governments to achieve a meaningful post-Kyoto climate deal. This has to be a legally binding deal within the UN process where all countries have a voice (including those most affected by climate change) and that includes ambitious green house gas emission reduction targets.

FOR EARTH HOUR 2010

Why was Sunday March 27 chosen? The explanation goes like this: “it is around the time of the Spring and Autumn equinoxes in the northern and southern hemispheres respectively, which allows for near coincidental sunset times in both hemispheres, thereby ensuring the greatest visual impact for a global ‘lights out’ action”.

Many landmark buildings went dark last year, for instance, the Empire State building and Eiffel tower. Will we be able to observe Belgium’s Atomium going dark this year? We will see! In Belgium, 243 municipalities and 246 companies have so far signed up to Earth Hour 2010. |