Legarda: Earth Hour Proves We Are Capable of Protecting our Planet

In observance of Earth Hour today, March 30, 2019, between 8:30-9:30pm in the Philippines, Senator Loren Legarda said that participating in the event shows that everyone is capable of taking steps to protect our planet.

“Every year, nations, communities, industries, and individuals participate in the Earth Hour, switching off non-essential lights for an hour. Last year, 188 countries and territories participated and more than 17,900 landmarks and monuments around the world switched off their lights during Earth Hour. This shows that we are all capable of taking action to protect the Earth and act against climate change in our own individual way,” said Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committee on Climate Change and UNISDR Global Champion for Resilience.

“The Earth Hour proves that we can be protectors of our planet. It shows that small acts, when put together, create big change. I hope that what we can go beyond Earth Hour and imbibe environment-friendly practices as a way of life,” she added.

The Senator said that saving on electricity, using low carbon technologies, conserving water, eating local food, planting more trees, among others, are just some of the simple ways by which individuals can significantly contribute to protecting the planet. “Beyond that, we can join the rest of the world in efforts to save energy, reduce carbon emissions and raise awareness on sustainability and environmental challenges.”

The Earth Hour started in Sydney, Australia in 2007. The following year, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) launched the international Earth Hour.

According to the WWF, the Earth Hour campaign started by encouraging cities and communities to turn off their lights for one hour during the designated date of Earth Hour. Since then, homes and communities went beyond the hour or have taken greater action towards the protection of the environment.