Earth Hour 2016 — an event that asks people across the globe to switch off all non-essential lights, will be celebrated on Saturday. The world shall participate in Earth Hour 2016 on 19 March between 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m, local time. In India, the focus of the campaign this year is on the potential of solar energy as a viable and renewable source of power.
Earth Hour is calling on citizens across the country to support not only the campaign by switching off non-essential lights for the hour, but also the government’s pledge to move toward renewable energy for a sustainable future. WWF-India’s Earth Hour campaign advocates a solar-powered future by urging its supporters to “go solar”.
Landmarks like India Gate and Rashtrapati Bhavan among others, will switch off lights during this hour. The Delhi government, the Department of Environment and Forests, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and BSES will support the event.
The Earth Hour campaign in India this year is being endorsed by cricketer Shikhar Dhawan. Speaking about his association with the cause, he said, “I believe climate change is the biggest global problem that we face today. It is a problem that we need to solve together. Like cricket, Earth Hour brings people together. I would urge people to come together and find newer, smarter ways to help save the planet.”
Dhawan also asked cricket fans all over the country to switch off all other non-essential lights for an hour and watch the historic India-Pakistan T20 ICC World Cup match scheduled for 19 March in the dark. He said, “As we chase our dream of becoming World Champions again, we are counting on you to help us realize our dream of a greener planet! Let’s stand together against climate change.”
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“Earth Hour has been drawing interest and support from all quarters, be it the governments, educational institutions, the media, the hotel industry or the Corporate. People from all walks of life have begun to identify with the message behind the Earth Hour and the wide range of celebrations that take place across both the states is amazing,” Farida Tampal, State Director, Hyderabad, WWF-India said, speaking of the campaign.
Earth Hour 2016 Details:
Date: March 19
Time: 8:30 PM- 9:30 PM
Earth Hour has been celebrated every year since 2007. It has grown to become a global movement that seeks to create a positive environmental impact, and bring in legislative changes by harnessing the power of numbers.
Earth Hour 2016 hopes to continue the conversation that focuses on climate change by serving as a call for governments, organisations and people to move from discourse and discussion to concrete action.