Earth Hour is a yearly event organised by the Worldwide Fund (WWF), during the event millions of lights are switched off for one whole hour to take a stand against climate change. This demonstration has been ongoing for 13 years but 2020 saw Earth Hour go digital as new social distancing laws were introduced worldwide to fight the spread of COVID-19.
Earth Hour 2020 took place on the 28th March, typically where large crowds would gather at popular tourist destinations and landmarks to watch the lights go out, WWF encourages participators to stay home, stay safe and switch off the lights of their homes.
This year saw the event supported in 190 nations which is the highest number to date. A total of 100 landmarks across the globe switched off their lights to aide the fight against climate change.
In these unprecedented times, WWF has used Earth Hour 2020 to encourage kindship and volunteering to help the vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic. This could include offering to shop for the elderly or those that are shielding/self-isolating, it could also mean delivering medical and food parcels to those in need while adhering to social distancing procedures.
To further the positive impact of the demonstration, WWF encouraged participators to watch informative documentaries and spread awareness of climate change through social media and trending hashtags. Participants were urged to spread the word about the positive impacts of COVID-19 such as reductions in air pollution because of home working meaning fewer vehicles traveling day to day. Finding positivity during an uncertain time may help people to consider how their day to day actions affect the environment and how small changes can make a big difference.
If you are looking to make a bigger change to reduce your carbon footprint and help the fight against climate change, UCS can help. We offer a range of renewable energy solutions including solar PV, electric vehicle charging points, and battery storage. You can read more about our product range here.
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