Important Facts For Prelims
Earth Hour
- 27 Mar 2021
- 2 min read
Why in News
The Earth Hour is being observed on 27th March 2021.
Key Points
- About:
- Earth Hour is the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF)’s annual initiative that began in 2007.
- It is held every year on the last Saturday of March.
- It encourages people from more than 180 countries to switch off the lights from 8.30 pm to 9.30 pm as per their local time.
- The idea is to refrain from the use of non-essential lighting to save energy in a symbolic call for environmental protection.
- Impact:
- Earth Hour has become a catalyst for positive environmental impact, driving major legislative changes by harnessing the power of the people and collective action.
- Examples: It helped
- Create a 3.5 million hectare marine-protected area in Argentina.
- Ban all plastics in the Galapagos in 2014.
- Plant 17 million trees in Kazakhstan.
- Light up homes with solar power in India and the Philippines.
- Push new legislation for the protection of seas and forests in Russia.
World Wildlife Fund for Nature
- About:
- It is the world’s leading conservation organization and works in more than 100 countries.
- Established:
- It was established in 1961 and is headquartered at Gland, Switzerland
- Mission:
- To conserve nature and reduce the most pressing threats to the diversity of life on Earth.
- Other Initiatives of WWF:
