'Biggest Earth Hour' set on March 25
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO---The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) said the biggest Earth Hour will happen on March 25, 2023, Saturday at 8:30 pm and locally from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm, Philippine Standard Time.
Dubbed "Biggest Hour for Earth," the WWF and 60-Earth Hour advocates rolled out the new "Hour Bank."
This is expected to gather seven years’worth of pledges or 60,000 hours, symbolizing the time left to recover nature and course-correct Earth in an hour and take action to secure a nature positive world for the sake of people amid intensifying climate change.
The WWF website (www.panda.org/ news) said the new "Hour Bank," aside from switching off lights, offers several options on how to pledge an hour for Mother Earth.
These include "switching off" from everyday distractions and instead celebrating it by spending the hour reconnecting, restoring, learning or inspiring others to take care of the planet.
"We are calling on individuals, communities and businesses across the world to give an hour for Earth and help bank as many planet positive pledges as possible. This year we want to compel millions more people to celebrate the planet and switch off in a different way, so we have launched the new Hour Bank, providing different ways to get involved in 60 minutes of global unity. 2023 must be a year of change to reach our nature-positive targets, and we need everyone to help clock as many hours as possible for the planet," said Senior Director of Brand and Network Communications at WWF International and Global Campaign Director for Earth Hour Yves Calmette.
As of March 23, the WWF said the Hour Bank, ticking at two days, six hours, 11 minutes and four seconds, has already received pledges from over 84,825 people from 156 countries.
People pledged to dedicate and allot 27,565 hours reconnecting with the Earth; 13,414 hours restoring it; 39,986 hours learning more about the planet; 1,125 hours inspiring others to take care of it; and 2,741 hours finding other ways to make an impact.
Participants may submit their "hour for Earth" to www.earthhour.org/ give-an-hour. Pledges can also be shared on social media using # MyHourForEarth.
Now in its 17th year having been born in Sydney in 2007, Earth Hour has grown to become the world's largest grassroots movements for the envir onment .
The program inspires individuals, communities, businesses and organizations in more than 190 countries and territories to take actions on climate crisis and strived to bring the pressing issue on nature to the fore and create an unstoppable movement for nature.