As HNGN previously reported, 2015 has been declared by the United Nations the "International Year of Light." The International Year of Light and Light-Based Technologies (IYL 2015) is supporting the grassroots movement Earth Hour sparked by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
People across the globe will turn off their artificial lights at 8:30 p.m. local time. "Artificial lighting is essential to modern society, but we must raise awareness of how much of our lighting wastes energy and pollutes our view of the beauty of the night sky," John Dudley, Chair of the IYL 2015 Steering Committee said, according to a press release. "Promoting energy-efficient and smart lighting solutions so that the right sort of light is used only when and where it's needed is one of the aims of the International Year of Light, and we are delighted to lend our full support to Earth Hour in switching off the lights to ensure a brighter future for us all."
Earth Hour first began in Sydney, Australia in 2007. The city's population of 2.2 million turned off their lights to appeal to their government - then, skeptical of the affect humans have on climate change, according to the press release. Currently, Earth Hour involves 7,000 cities in 162 countries and territories worldwide. According to the press release: "WWF teams across the world harness the power of Earth Hour to work with citizens, policymakers and businesses to drive progress on climate action. Examples include legislation to protect forests and marine areas in Russia and Argentina, raising climate awareness in schools in India and Sweden, and working with communities and wildlife affected by climate change in the Philippines and Colombia. And to think, it all started with a light switch!"
"Climate change affects everyone, everywhere and this is why we need movements like Earth Hour which takes the issue from the conference rooms into the living rooms of people, inspiring and empowering every individual to be a part of the efforts to change climate change," Board of Director's Chair of Earth Hour Global Sudhanshu Sarronwala said, according to the press release. "As IYL 2015 puts the focus on how light can help sustainable development, WWF's Earth Hour shows us how the light switch can be the spark for a sustainable future too -- with the power of the people."
To join the movement, explore the hashtag #YourPower, visit earthhour.org and switch off your lights on Saturday, March 28 at 8:30 p.m. local time.
