WWF calls for a worldwide light switch-off for the environment
“Earth Pause Button”
Lights out for one hour – global “Earth Hour” started
The Chinese city of Nanjing is participating in the ‘Earth Hour’ in 2022.
© Source: picture alliance / ZUMAPRESS.com | Su Yang/Sipa Asia
wellington One hour of light off for our planet: New Zealand and other countries in the Asia-Pacific region heralded the “Earth Hour” for 2023 at 8.30 p.m. on Saturday evening. The WWF launched the global climate and environmental protection campaign in Australia in 2007 as a sign that humanity must take better care of the earth. Not only do numerous citizens around the world switch off the lights for an hour, but also well-known buildings are no longer illuminated for 60 minutes.
This year, people are also encouraged to take action on Earth Hour Day: “Give Earth an hour and spend 60 minutes doing something – anything – good for our planet,” wrote WWF International. Examples included reconnecting with nature outdoors, picking up rubbish on a beach, planting a tree, shopping plastic-free, or watching a documentary about climate change and biodiversity loss.
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Meanwhile, in New Zealand, the Sky Tower, the observation and telecommunications tower and the Harbor Bridge in Auckland, as well as the parliament building in the capital, Wellington, were shrouded in darkness. In Sydney, Australia, the world-famous Harbor Bridge and the Sydney Opera House were to follow a little later.
WWF: “Now is the time to hit the pause button”
“An estimated 200,000 trees are felled in Australia every day. That’s 8,000 trees per hour,” calculated WWF Australia. “Trees are the lungs of our planet and we need them to reverse the effects of climate change. Now is the time to hit the pause button.”
In Malaysia, the Petronas Towers – once the tallest building in the world – had announced their participation. In Thailand’s capital, Bangkok, five iconic structures made the list, including the Temple of Dawn (Wat Arun) and the Temple of the Emerald Buddha – the country’s national shrine. Governor Chadchart Sittipunt has also asked shopping malls and hotels to hold candlelight activities.
RND/dpa
