Earth Hour 2021 on March 27: What Is Earth Hour, why do people turn off lights?

Every year, millions of people across the planet turn off the lights between 8:30 pm and 9:30 pm on the last Saturday in March, this annual tradition is known as 'Earth Hour'. The goal of this activity is to spread awareness about sustainability and climate change. This year Earth Hour will be held on March 27, 2021.

What is 'Earth Hour'?

The annual tradition of shutting down electric lights for one hour was started by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). The aim was to encourage individuals, communities, and businesses to turn off all non-essential lights for an entire hour symbolising their commitment to the planet Earth.

This year, people from across the world will light candles and celebrate unity. This will be the first-ever "Virtual Spotlight" Earth Hour.

WWF has invited people from across the world to share the must-watch videos in order to raise awareness. These most-watched videos will be posted on the social media handles of WWF. "This year, we invite you to spread the same message and re-create the same unmissable sight online by taking part in our first-ever Earth Hour Virtual Spotlight," reads WWF website.

History of 'Earth Hour'

The first Earth Hour was held in Sydney in 2007. WWF had encouraged 2.2 million people to turn off their lights for one hour. This was done to support action against climate change.

In the following years, Earth Hour became a worldwide event. Global landmarks such as Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, Sydney Opera House, the Empire State Building have also switched off electric lights during Earth Hour.

"Earth Hour is open-source and we welcome everyone, anyone, to take part and help amplify our mission to unite people to protect our planet," reads a statement on the official website.

Earth Hour has become one of the biggest grassroots movements for the environment.

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