A symbol of climate protection: all over the world, the lights in apartments and famous buildings went out for an hour on Saturday night. In Germany, the Brandenburger Tor was in the dark for an hour from 8:30 p.m. With the “Earth Hour”, the environmental foundation WWF sets an example for more climate protection every year.
Numerous cities in more than 100 countries worldwide took part in the 17th “Earth Hour” under the motto “Together for more climate protection”. According to the WWF, more than 550 cities in Germany signed up for the campaign, which began at 8:30 p.m. local time. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who has been committed to climate protection for years, called for participation. The event is a reminder that “everyone can do their part,” Guterres wrote on Twitter.
Austria also participated
The city of Vienna also called for participation. Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler (Greens) appeared in a video on Twitter disguised as a house technician undercover in an “energy-saving mission” in the ministry.
Under the motto “renaturing instead of concreting”, WWF Austria also announced a public painting action in Vienna-Neubau on Human Rights Square on Mariahilfer Strasse. “Lights off!” is the motto from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. “The destruction of nature is taking on dramatic proportions worldwide – our Earth urgently needs a break,” said Joschka Brangs, spokesperson for biodiversity at WWF Austria. In this regard, the NGO pointed out that of the eight million species worldwide, up to one million are threatened with extinction. In Austria, the high soil consumption weighs particularly heavily on the last remaining nature reserves.
“Calling people to get involved”
“Sights such as Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, the Brandenburger Tor in Berlin or the Christ Statue in Rio de Janeiro symbolically turn off the lights. Apart from that, this year we are calling on everyone around the world to do their own thing and raise awareness for the long-term protection of nature,” Brangs wished it wouldn’t be just a symbolic turning off of the lights. Millions of people in more than 190 countries around the world will participate again this year.
In addition, people should take action themselves on “Earth Hour” day: “Give the Earth an hour and do something – anything – positive for our planet for 60 minutes,” wrote WWF International. Examples are getting in touch with nature outside, picking up rubbish on a beach, planting a tree, plastic-free shopping or watching a documentary about climate change and loss of biodiversity.
Russia not included this time
Hours before the start of the campaign in Central Europe, the lights had gone out elsewhere long ago. In New Zealand, the Sky Tower observation and telecommunications tower and the Harbor Bridge in Auckland were in the dark, in Sydney, Australia, the Harbor Bridge and the Opera House. In Malaysia, the lights of the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur – once the tallest buildings in the world – went out for an hour.
Russia was not there this time, the lights on public buildings remained on there. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov justified this in advance by saying that the WWF, as the initiator, is now on Russia’s list of “foreign agents.” “Foreign agents” are often accused of divisive activities in Russia. The country had previously participated in the campaign since 2013 and, among other things, turned off the facade lighting at the Kremlin, Russia’s center of power.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
