Earth Hour shines light on climate change

“Every light switch turned off represents a call to switch on our collective power and be the first line of defence for our planet as we form the frontlines of climate change”.

The concept of Earth Hour was introduced by WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature/World Wildlife Fund), it urged the households and business establishments all over the world to turn off the lights and electrical appliances that are not required for an hour at the appointed time. In 2015, the event involved 172 countries and over two billion people.

Corresponding events and initiatives have sprung up in almost 200 countries, since the first Earth Hour event, with hundreds of millions of people now taking part.

The Trevi fountain is seen with its lights switched off, on the occasion of the 10th annual Earth Hour, in Rome, Saturday, March 19, 2016. The participants said they also used the event to pay tributes to the victims of the Dubai plane crash in southern Russian Federation that killed all 62 people aboard on Saturday.

Jeddah Hilton celebrated Earth Hour through the following activities: From 8:30 p.m.to 9:30 p.m. the lights were switched off in the lobby and outside the building, while the entrance and the lobby were attractively illuminated with candles.

The event began in Australia in 2007 to draw attention to the need to join the fight against climate change. With automated posts and custom Earth Hour profile pictures appearing in personal newsfeeds worldwide, supporters helped spread awareness and action on climate across a potential social reach surpassing 18.7 million people.

The power utility urged consumers to take action beyond this one hour and to make energy efficiency and environmental conservation part of their daily lifestyles.

Organised and run by Bee’ah’s School of Environment team, Bee’ah’s Earth Hour Community Event 2016, also offered some fun activities surrounding the main event, including glow-in-the-dark mask and t-shirt painting, jar decoration, and hand-printings on canvas.