It was this one time when an hour of darkness lit up hopes for a better future. The Earth Hour, which is a global climate change awareness campaign ideated by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), was observed with complete zest and zeal throughout the globe. Iconic sights fainted into darkness as millions joined hands in order to raise awareness about the pressing climatic challenges which the planet faces.
In Paris, the Eifell Tower was overhauled with darkness for about five minutes due to security concerns. Even the famous Empire State Building in New York dimmed its lights on Saturday. Moreover, the glittering Las Vegas strip too went dim for the Earth Hour. In Hong Kong, the city’s majestic skyline which is usually lit up with skyscrapers, also went dark. Taiwan’s iconic Taipei 101 too plunged into darkness along with Kuala Lampur’s Petronas Twin Towers. Singapore however did not participate in this year’s Earth Hour as the country is in a state of mourning after the death of its founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.
India too joined the event with prominent buildings across the country growing dim for an hour. In Delhi, lights were switched off at the Rashtrapati Bhawan and Akshardham Temple. While in Kolkata, the Victoria Memorial went dark in order to mark the event. As per sources, around 40 MW of power was saved in Mumbai during Earth Hour.
The Earth Hour is aimed at raising awareness about sustainable energy sources. The large scale ‘switch off’ campaign was the brainchild of WWF Australia and advertising agency Leo Burnett Sydney. With over 170 countries and territories participating in the event, the authorities hope to spread more knowledge and awareness about rising climatic change, which will be harmful for the planet and its members. This year’s Earth Hour was the ninth edition of the campaign, since it was first held at an international level, back in 2008.