Give an Hour for the Earth
In terms of the age of the Earth or the average human lifespan, an hour isn’t very much time. But it is enough time to take part in the largest Earth Hour ever. Join with millions of other people around the world on March 22, beginning at 8:30 pm local time, to “Give an hour for Earth”.
Earth hour is about solidarity, hope, and the power of collective action. Every year, millions of people turn off the lights to illuminate the need for climate action. Today I ask that you are one of them,” UN secretary general António Guterres said in a press release. “Earth needs you. Human-made climate calamity is here and now.”
Humble Beginnings
Earth Hour was founded in Sydney Australia in 2007 by the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) as a way to draw attention to the environment and climate change, according to National Today. The first Earth Hour was a lights-off event that involved switching off all non-essential electric lights.
In 2008, Earth Hour went global, and 35 countries participated. Over 400 cities turned off all non-essential lights. Landmarks went dark and even the homepage of Google went dark.
Since then, Earth Hour has grown to be the world’s largest grassroots environmental movement, the organization said in a press release. In 2024, Earth hour reached an important milestone of service that was logged on earthhour.org/giveanhour. In 2025, the organization is aiming for 2 million.
What can you do?
Recent events like catastrophic hurricanes, floods, and wildfires have shown how dire the situation is. “The stakes have never been higher. The past year was the hottest on record — capping off the hottest decade, with the hottest seas ever recorded, Kirsten Schuijt, director general, WWF International, said in the Earth Hour press release.
While there are events in locations around the world, there are a myriad of other ways to do your part for the Earth. You can cook a sustainable meal at home using only locally sourced organic ingredients. If you enjoy being in nature, take a walk in the woods or a local park. The Hour Bank on the Earth Hour website contains many more options.
The Give an Hour for Earth 2025 call to action helps you do more than just switch off your lights by taking 60 minutes to do something you love to spread awareness and help the planet. It really is that easy!
