Thursday, March 28

Earth hour: curiosities 15 years of turning off the light for the environment


The initiative is supported in much of the world. / JUSTIN LANE

Curiosities of the symbolic act of turning off electricity for an hour promoted by WWF throughout the world, which this year makes more sense due to the energy crisis

It started as a local movement of 2.2 million people in Sydney to claim that climate change was real and not an invention and has grown into one of the largest global actions related to the environment. In Spain alone, 500 municipalities have committed this year to support the proposal. We are talking about Earth Hour, an initiative by which, this Saturday, all people, organizations and companies are invited to turn off the lights between 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. local time.

“This belongs to everyone, not just WWF,” says Miguel Ángel Valladares, communication director of the NGO in Spain, promoter of the initiative. Something that, more than being a symbol, is “a call to decisive action in the coming years, until 2030, so that together we can reverse the loss of diversity.”

Valladares stresses that this action is not only related to energy saving. “The energy saving of an hour of light turned off at night is not representative,” he acknowledges, but he recognizes the work that this action has, as a symbol. “It serves to reflect, to do many different activities that can be done around family, friends or as citizens. That we think about what can be done, as a citizen, as an individual personally, but also as companies, to fight against climate change”.

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What does turning off the lights mean?

The WWF communication director assures that all the large Spanish cities have adhered to this initiative and, therefore, we will see their main monuments turned off: the Puerta de Alcalá, the Alhambra, the Basilica del Pilar… Without highlighting any above the rest , recognizes that sometimes for the smallest municipalities it is, many times, a great effort. “Seeing how an entire town joins this initiative motivates you a lot,” he says.

It should be noted that, when an institution decides to show WWF its support for this initiative and second it, it commits not only to turning off the light for one hour on a specific date. “We ask them to sign the letter, to tell us what actions they are going to take, we suggest advice on energy efficiency and on any environmental issue that implies an improvement in people’s lives.”

Valladares assures that the NGO monitors these commitments made. In the case of city councils, they work hand in hand with the network of cities for the climate. Valladares acknowledges that the fulfillment of these commitments is uneven, but he takes the positive view that the symbol of turning off the light ends up generating awareness and movement beyond a single day.

The Segovia aqueduct, without light, during the initiative in previous years.

Impact on the electrical network

Valladares also clarifies that, during the first years of this action, the European delegations (including the Spanish one) of WWF met with the operators of the electricity grid and energy resources “to make it clear that our intention is neither the energy savings from this turning off the lights and not even generating a collapse in the network”. It justifies, in fact, that it be done on a Saturday, because it is precisely when less energy consumption. “On a Saturday night, beyond homes and monuments and buildings, there is hardly any consumption because business activity is much lower.” So much so that, he says, many times you barely notice a drop in power consumption.

Although this wording has tried to contact Red Eléctrica to confirm these data, for the time being it has not been possible.

Complementary actions

On the other hand, it should be noted that, on the occasion of Earth Hour, WWF has carried out other parallel actions with which it also intends to raise awareness about climate change.

This year it has been decided to add kilometers that symbolize several laps around the world. This initiative will feature, in its final act in Madrid, the Olympic athletes Marta Pérez and Fernando Carro. It is about representing the time trial to, between now and 2030, achieve the “restoration of habitats that are degraded, to reduce CO2 emissions by half and to stop once and for all the loss of biodiversity and fulfill the commitment of the leaders global SDGs”. For this reason, Valladares assures that we are facing a critical decade in which we are at risk “to have more and better nature in 2030”.

Fun facts about ‘Earth Hour’

  1. 1

    Born in 2007 in Sydney (Australia)

  2. two

    Currently 200 countries benefit from this initiative

  3. 3

    500 Spanish municipalities have joined this year

  4. 4

    Membership entails a commitment plan to take certain measures

  5. 5

    WWF sends a series of recommendations and evaluates a follow-up of them

  6. 6

    It is celebrated on the last Saturday of March.

  7. 7

    Lights out between 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. local time

  8. 8

    Saturday was chosen for being the one with the least electrical impact

  9. 9

    Electricity consumption barely varies, as there is hardly any business activity

  10. 10

    Everyone is invited, in the dark, to reflect on the measures that can be taken

  11. eleven

    An action plan against climate change is called for

  12. 12

    Personalities who have supported this initiative: Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen; Pope Francisco; Sofia Vergara, actress; Andy Murray, tennis player; Charles of England.

  13. 13

    Monuments that turn off their illumination: Olympic State of China; Tokyo Skytree, Peotrnas Towers, Eiffel Tower, London Eye, St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican, Roman Coliseum, Acropolis of Athens, Niagara Falls.


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