Earth Hour 2020 is almost here!

It's that time again! On this Saturday, March 28, people around the world will be taking part in the international event known as Earth Hour. Over the course of the last 10 years, I have learned so much about the environment and I am proud to be an advocate of such an amazing experience. It is as easy as turning off your lights—literally! Earth Hour is a charitable-based organization based out of Singapore. Its mission has always been about uniting people to protect the planet. Earth Hour is an open source movement organized by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and volunteer organizations worldwide. Earth Hour was started as a lights-off event in Sydney, Australia in 2007. Since then it has grown to be a part in more than 180 countries and territories worldwide.

Check out the Earth Hour 2020 official video below:

Earth Hour represents the need for global climate change. One of the largest myths that our elected political leaders love to spread is that climate change and global warming is not real. However, scientists worldwide agree that global warming is happening, and that human activity causes it per a recent study from the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report (AR5), written by a panel of hundreds of climate experts and scientists from member countries of the World Meteorological Organization, the United Nations Environmental Programme, and a team of external reviewers. To add to that point, the drastic changes in the weather should be the largest evidence to date.

Now more than ever, there is a need to preserve nature. Many healing herbs and medicines are derived from what grows from the earth; moreover, we must do everything we can to preserve what may be able to lend a helping hand during this COVID-19 pandemic.

So how does Earth Hour actually help? According to the Canadian-based company Hydro One, Earth Hour 2012 resulted in direct power savings for the province of Ontario of 202 megawatts – or enough to power the city of Belleville, Ontario. That translates to just over 140 metric tons of carbon dioxide being released into our atmosphere. That helps the plant life to take it in, which in turn will release more oxygen. Although that seems like a large accomplishment, there is still much more work to do to get the attention of other cities and countries.

Environmental conservation has been a very special subject for me since I was 13 years old, and I dare not allow such a meaningful opportunity, where I can play my part, pass me by. Earth Hour takes place on this Saturday, March 28 from 8:30pm-9:30pm (your local time). I implore that you join me in working to #ChangeClimateChange. If you can contribute such an influential role, by just turning off your lights, why not? We only get one planet. Let us do all that we can to take care of it.

For more information on how you can be involved in Earth Hour, go to https://www.earthhour.org/.