It’s that time of year again: It
Earth Hour was conceived by a marketing firm working with the World Wildlife Fund, and since the first event in Australia in 2007, it’s grown to an international phenomenon. Last year, 162 countries and more than 7,000 towns and cities participated in this remarkable symbol of sacrifice, which is pretty impressive but nothing compared to the 1.2 BILLION tweets about it. Now THAT is a movement.
As U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stated in a video address, “Earth Hour shows what is possible when we unite in support of a cause: No individual action is too small, no collective vision is too big. This is the time to use your power.”
We here at Grist fully endorse Earth Hour, and will certainly turn off our lights Saturday night, probably while watching TV. Other things you can do:
- Rather than using a heating blanket on cold nights, cover your mattress in tuna and let all the neighborhood cats join you. For one hour.
- Instead of eating directly out of the refrigerator, close the door first and eat over the sink. For one hour.
- If it’s yellow, let it mellow! For one hour.
- Compost! For one hour, and then throw your garbage in the disposal cause that shit will stink up your kitchen.
- Put down those car keys and take a walk! For one hour, and then take a cab home cause it’ll be getting dark by then.
- Go vegan! For one hour, and then celebrate your success with a hamburger.
Even if our alternate suggestions don’t work for you, don’t forget to grab those light switches and make a difference. It’s literally the least you could do.
