Tonight, on Saturday, March 28, Earth Hour, one of the world’s largest grassroots movements for the environment, will once again inspire individuals, businesses and organizations in over 180 countries and territories to renew their commitment to the planet.
In the midst of the global COVID-19 health crisis, Earth Hour marks a moment of solidarity as global communities unite for each other and for the planet. We advise participants to join Earth Hour at home or online following CDC guidelines. Given the unprecedented circumstances, the global health emergency we are facing today is an alarming signal that we need to urgently transform our relationship with nature and the ecosystems we live in.
Earth Hour 2020 draws attention to the immediate need for halting nature and biodiversity loss for our health and well-being. During these challenging times, it’s more important than ever that we take a collective pause to reflect, evolve and strengthen our relationship with ourselves, with each other and with nature.
Shauna Mahajan, social scientist at World Wildlife Fund, said, “Individual actions can add up to create a movement. As Americans are spending more time at home during these challenging and unprecedented times, we can take an hour to reflect on how we as individuals can make our planet safe and healthy for both people and nature. The best opportunities for creating change come when we align our passions with our actions – so this Earth Hour, let’s pause to reflect on how our individual passions can be aligned with action to help us collectively create a green and fair future.”
We live in an interconnected world, and our way of life increasingly threatens all life on Earth. Our pressure on the climate and our increased demand for food, water, and energy come at a cost for nature and species around the world, including ourselves.
Greta Thunberg, climate and environmental activist, said, “Earth Hour for me is every hour of every day. The need to unite and protect our planet has never been greater. As we have been asked to avoid public gatherings to slow the spreading of the COVID-19 (coronavirus), I recommend everyone to come together virtually for #EarthHour to renew our commitment to the planet and use our voices to drive action online safely and responsibly.”
People-led initiatives around the world like Earth Hour are vital to continue to inspire awareness on the importance of nature and prompt action to help deliver a nature positive world by the end of the decade.
