Hundreds of millions of people, businesses and governments around the world unite each year to support the largest environmental event in history — Earth Hour.
Earth Hour is a global event organised by the World Wide Fund for Nature and is held towards the end of March annually, encouraging households and businesses to turn off their non-essential lights for one hour to raise awareness about the need to take action on climate change.
This year, WWF is launching Earth Hour Blue, the first crowd funding and crowd sourcing platform for the planet. The event garners the support of thousands of participants and enables people and communities on the ground to achieve outcomes.
This year’s theme is “Your Power, Amplified, Multiplied, Globalised”.
The theme shows the power that people can unleash when they work together in doing positive things for the environment.
In Fiji, Earth Hour Blue involves raising funds for a renewable energy and water project for the four villages of Vesi, Ligau, Nakawaga and Matailabasa in Mali district Macuata.
Currently villagers rely on diesel powered generators for lighting and face climate related challenges that include access to drinking water sources.
Raising funds during the Earth Hour Blue campaign allows WWF to direct funds for the purchase of solar panels for the villages’ community halls and the purchase of water tanks for drinking water access.
The project encourages residents within the Mali district community to use renewable energy sources and inculcate a lifestyle that is sustainable and positive for the environment.
Fijian President and Earth Hour Ambassador Ratu Epelei Nailatikau will lead the fundraising drive at a candlelight dinner held at the Novotel Entertainment Centre in Lami tonight.
The central core of this campaign is the power of the crowd. Celebrate the hour, Back the project and add your voice.
What Earth Hour achieved before launching Earth Hour Blue:
* WWF Uganda started the world’s first Earth Hour Forest
* More than 250,000 Russians voiced support for better protection of their country’s seas and forests
* Argentina used its 2013 Earth Hour campaign to help pass a Senate bill for a 3.4 million hectare Marine Protected Area in the country
* Thousands of wood-saving stoves were distributed to families in Madagascar
* Solar-powered lights were installed in three villages without electricity in India
* In Paraguay, WWF used the Earth Hour platform to build public support to gain an extension of the logging moratorium, helping to reduce deforestation
* Education programs for schools were launched in Thailand and Taiwan
* Hundreds of thousands of LED lights were installed by girl scouts in the USA
* More than 2123 mitigation actions submitted by Earth Hour City Challenge 2014 participating cities.
