... millions of people celebrate the lights off event and go beyond the hour.
Mobilising the world for a sustainable future: From small beginnings, starting in Sydney in 2007, Earth Hour has exploded in size and reach to become WWF’s biggest ever public outreach campaign, with hundreds of millions of people, in more than 5,000 cities, in 135 countries and territories across the globe taking part in Earth Hour 2011.
Earth Hour shows the possibility of change lies in uniting individuals, their families, communities, places of work and worship, behind a common goal. Earth Hour has become a major call to action for every individual, government and business to take responsibility and play a part in the environmental sustainability of the planet.
On 26 March 2011 New Zealanders lead the global Earth Hour community in the annual ‘lights out for the planet’ event, and pledged to go beyond the hour. As New Zealand’s Earth Hour ended at 9.30pm, the lights went down in Fiji for Earth Hour, and the event’s domino journey around the world began. This year, Earth Hour’s global message is strongly focused on inspiring people to make a personal commitment to build on the momentum of Earth Hour and go ‘beyond the hour’. Through celebrating Earth Hour, people are pledging to take action in their own lives to protect our world – from using the car less to switching off lights when we don’t need them. Earth Hour shows us that when our small individual planet-saving actions are taken on a global scale, they can make a world of difference.
Through its new Earth Hour Community Fund, WWF has supported five New Zealand councils and communities running Earth Hour events that engage and inspire people towards collective action on sustainable living – Central Otago, Hastings, Selwyn, Tauranga, and Upper Hutt. People in these regions have been taking part in Earth Hour events tonight and throughout the day, from a ‘Healthy Homes, Happy Pockets’ Earth Hour public seminar on energy efficiency, to communities in Alexandra learning to lighten their tread on the planet, including a session on the dark art of composting.
“New Zealanders are strong supporters of Earth Hour, with large proportions of the population taking part over the last three years. It’s clear Kiwis want action on climate change, and are prepared to take personal action to do their bit,” said WWF-New Zealand Climate Change Campaigner Lee Barry. “WWF is committed to making sure the government also takes strong action on climate change, which will make living sustainably easier for everyone.”
Earth Hour shows the possibility of change lies in uniting individuals, their families, communities, places of work and worship, behind a common goal. Earth Hour has become a major call to action for every individual, government and business to take responsibility and play a part in the environmental sustainability of the planet.
On 26 March 2011 New Zealanders lead the global Earth Hour community in the annual ‘lights out for the planet’ event, and pledged to go beyond the hour. As New Zealand’s Earth Hour ended at 9.30pm, the lights went down in Fiji for Earth Hour, and the event’s domino journey around the world began. This year, Earth Hour’s global message is strongly focused on inspiring people to make a personal commitment to build on the momentum of Earth Hour and go ‘beyond the hour’. Through celebrating Earth Hour, people are pledging to take action in their own lives to protect our world – from using the car less to switching off lights when we don’t need them. Earth Hour shows us that when our small individual planet-saving actions are taken on a global scale, they can make a world of difference.
Through its new Earth Hour Community Fund, WWF has supported five New Zealand councils and communities running Earth Hour events that engage and inspire people towards collective action on sustainable living – Central Otago, Hastings, Selwyn, Tauranga, and Upper Hutt. People in these regions have been taking part in Earth Hour events tonight and throughout the day, from a ‘Healthy Homes, Happy Pockets’ Earth Hour public seminar on energy efficiency, to communities in Alexandra learning to lighten their tread on the planet, including a session on the dark art of composting.
“New Zealanders are strong supporters of Earth Hour, with large proportions of the population taking part over the last three years. It’s clear Kiwis want action on climate change, and are prepared to take personal action to do their bit,” said WWF-New Zealand Climate Change Campaigner Lee Barry. “WWF is committed to making sure the government also takes strong action on climate change, which will make living sustainably easier for everyone.”