Several iconic places around the world will turn off their lights for an hour tonight, to celebrate Earth Hour, an annual tradition started by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in 2007 to raise awareness about climate change.
Landmarks such as the Empire State Building in New York, the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, the Sydney Opera House, the Roman Colosseum in Italy, the Louvre Museum pyramid in Paris, and the of India in New Delhi will go dark between 8:30 and 9:30 pm ET in support of the campaign.
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The annual activity takes place on the last Saturday of March, with the participation of millions of people in more than 190 countries to raise awareness about the loss of nature and climate change, and "address the climate crisis and work together to shape a better future for all of us”, says the WWF.
The organization invites everyone to participate by turning off the lights in their home for one hour, and recommends that people take action in favor of nature, either by participating in a local event or organizing an activity in their community, or “making an effort to live more sustainably or even influence world leaders to do the right thing.”
The Empire State Building in New York is one of the iconic buildings that will turn off their lights tonight, between 8:30 and 9:30 pm (Eastern time) during Earth Hour.Diane Bondareff / AP
The official Earth Hour site also suggests seven ways participants can spend the hour without lights.
🌎 Reconnect with nature
, visit a park, camp or take a night walk.
🌍
Prepare a dinner
and enjoy it by candlelight with your family or friends.
The WWF offers some sustainable recipes.
🌏 Get together
with your family or friends
to chat, watch a movie or read together by candlelight, or call someone close by on the phone.
🌎
Read, listen to a podcast
or watch a documentary about climate change and nature loss.
🌍
Join a local
volunteer organization that carries out actions in favor of nature, such as cleaning parks, beaches or forests, tree planting initiatives or local recycling projects.
🌏
Get active
.
Go for a run or walk, do yoga or meditation, or put on your favorite music and dance.
🌎
Explore art activities
like glow-in-the-dark paint, write a song, or go outside to take pictures.
