Earth Hour 2016 is held on March 19. This is the 10th Annual Earth Hour that began in Sydney in 2007 as an initiative of conservation group WWF and went global in 2008. This event will ask people across the globe to switch off all lights during a certain hour. The world shall participate in Earth Hour 2016 on 19 March between 8:30 pm and 9:30 pm local time.
Cities on Australia’s east coast were among the first in the world to turn off lights out Saturday. The event is designed to highlight the threat from climate change. This year’s theme is a celebration of “Places We Love,” such as beaches, forests, reefs, snow-capped mountains and rivers which could be at risk from climate change.
The Sydney Opera House, normally brightly lit, switched off its lights at 8:30 p.m. (0930 GMT), along with the Sydney Harbor Bridge and many more buildings across the city and Australia. Popular buildings such as the Eiffel Tower, the Empire State Building and Taipei 101 will follow suit.
Average global temperatures last month were 1.35 degree Celsius (2.4 Fahrenheit) above normal in February, the biggest temperature excess recorded for any month against a baseline of 1951-80, according to NASA data released. Earth Hour Global executive director Siddarth Das, said in a statement that the world is at a “climate crossroads”. “From living rooms to classrooms and conference rooms, people are demanding climate action,” he said.
“Earth Hour reminds us that while people are on the frontlines of climate change, they are also our first line of defense. Our actions today, as individuals and the global community, have the power to transform what the world will look like for generations to come.” This year’s event will be held in 178 countries and territories.