Lights will be switched off in homes and famous buildings around the world for an hour on Saturday. With the “Earth Hour” the environmental foundation WWF wants to set an example for more climate protection every year.
“Earth Hour is not about saving energy by turning off the lights,” writes the WWF. “Earth Hour is a symbolic and peaceful protest.” The fact that energy is also saved during this hour is a nice side effect.
“Forest fires, droughts and floods in 2022 have once again shown us the dramatic effects of the climate crisis,” the statement said. “This decade will decide whether we can still limit the climate crisis to a manageable level.”
The 17th “Earth Hour” takes place under the motto “Together for more climate protection”. Numerous cities in more than 100 countries around the world are taking part in the campaign, which starts at 8.30 p.m. local time: in Sydney, for example, the opera house and the Harbor Bridge will go dark, in Japan the light on Tokyo Tower will be switched off. According to the WWF, the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris and the London Eye Ferris wheel will not be illuminated for a short time on Saturday.
From the Frauenkirche to the Brandenburg Gate
According to the WWF, more than 550 cities in Germany have registered for the campaign. It gets dark on Saturday evening at the Frauenkirche in Dresden, Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria and the Porta Nigra in Trier. In Berlin, the lighting of the Brandenburg Gate is switched off. In addition to cities, companies and private individuals can also take part in the campaign.
Because of the energy crisis and the consequences of the war in Ukraine, the lights are already switched off in some places at this time. Cities and companies could still register for “Earth Hour”, wrote the WWF. “In this way, the participants can show that climate protection is important to them and join our call for more ambition in climate protection.”
The first “Earth Hour” took place in Sydney in 2007. According to the WWF, 663 cities in Germany officially took part in the campaign last year.
