It is an event held annually to encourage individuals, communities, and businesses to turn off non-essential electric lights for one hour, from 8:30 to 9:30 pm. This year it falls on 30th March and in Australia the call to action is #Connect2Earth. Being aware means that we can all take actions to protect our biodiversity and nature, it means we can live more sustainably as individuals and in our community, and expect the same of businesses and governments.
Earth Hour has grown to engage more than hundreds of millions of people around the world in more than 7,000 cities and towns across 187 countries and territories to raise awareness for energy consumption and effects on the environment. It is not an energy/carbon reduction exercise, it is a symbolic action to encourage everyone from individuals, businesses and governments around the world to take accountability for their ecological footprint and engage in dialogue and resource exchange that provides real solutions to the environmental challenges globally.
Earth Hour is also about more than just switching off the lights, it is about spending time to connect to Earth and appreciate the beautiful natural world around us.