Earth Hour Is Saturday. Don’t Be Left in the Dark: Here’s What It’s About

(Rebecca Peterson-Hall / Unsplash)(Rebecca Peterson-Hall / Unsplash)

For 60 minutes on Saturday, buildings across the globe will go dark during Earth Hour, observed 8:30-9:30 p.m. local time.

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Cook County government is taking part in this year’s event, flipping switches to “off” at its courthouses and administration buildings as a show of commitment to reducing the county’s carbon footprint. And residents are being encouraged to do the same.

“As the second largest county in the United States, every single step we can take to ensure future generations have a healthy environment to grow up in counts,” Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said in a statement.

Founded in 2007 by the World Wildlife Fund, Earth Hour was established to draw attention to climate change. In the years since, the event has grown from a simple message of “lights out” to become a global call for environmental action.

Organizers have several suggestions for activities to enjoy during Earth Hour itself: go for a walk, eat dinner by candlelight, listen to music or call someone you haven’t talked to in a while.

Equally important are the actions that “go beyond the hour,” ranging from decreasing food waste to conserving water.

In 2022, Earth Hour is keenly focused on addressing the global loss of natural areas and declining biodiversity, which will be the topic of the United Nations Biodiversity Conference slated for later this spring.

“This presents a once in a decade opportunity for leaders to agree on a plan to reverse nature loss by 2030 and build a nature-positive future,” Marco Lambertini, director general of World Wildlife Fund International, said in a statement.

“We also know that in order to build a future in harmony with nature we also need peace amongst people,” he added. “Which is why this year’s Earth Hour offers a moment of solidarity with all peoples suffering from wars and conflicts around the world; a chance for our global community to express what matters to them, to take positive action and to call for a world where people and planet are able to thrive together.”

Contact Patty Wetli: @pattywetli | (773) 509-5623 |  [email protected]


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