[Watch] Naveen Appeals All To Observe Earth Hour; Russia To Skip It, Know Why?

New Delhi: The world is observing Earth Hour today. Every year, millions of people across the globe take part in the worldwide event of ‘Earth Hour’ to raise awareness about climate change challenges and energy conservation by switching off all lights and electric appliances at their homes and offices for an hour.

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) organises the event to mobilise the masses to Give an Hour for Earth, as part of efforts to create the ‘Biggest Hour for Earth’ and to show support and solidarity towards the cause.

Earth Hour is observed on the last Saturday of March. Today is that day. India will observe it for one hour from 8.30 pm to 9.30 pm.

Joining the movement like every year, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik appealed to people to join the pledge to conserve electricity. Here’s what he tweeted:

Joining #EarthHour, I will switch off all lights at Naveen Niwas for an hour today. Appeal all to join global pledge to conserve electricity to mitigate global warming & climate change hazards to make planet Earth, the only home we share, a more sustainable place for us to live. pic.twitter.com/2VvzyYSsRl
— Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) March 25, 2023

Odisha’s sand artist Sudarshan Pattnaik too, implored people to join the Earth Hour by making a beautiful sand art on the Puri beach.

Join us for #EarthHour on 25th March 2023 at 8.30pm to create the #BiggestHourForEarth . My sand art at Puri beach, using more than 150 bulb, To celebrate sustainability and raise awareness on climate changes . pic.twitter.com/A5yGVkxToY
— Sudarsan Pattnaik (@sudarsansand) March 25, 2023

WWF lauded Pattnaik for his beautiful sand art.

🎨He aims to spread switch-off message across towns & cities in #India. He emphasizes understanding climate change risks & taking responsibility for positive action towards our planet.
🐼WWF-India is proud to associate with @sudarsansand & thankful for his thoughtful dedication. pic.twitter.com/HtR583v1uq
— WWF-India (@WWFINDIA) March 24, 2023

The Earth Hour event was first introduced as a symbolic lights-out event in 2007 by WWF Sydney and its partners. On the day, people in Australia were encouraged to participate in the event, to raise awareness about climate change. The first observance was organised on March 31, 2007, in Sydney at 7:30 pm, local time and a year later, Earth Hour was held internationally on March 29.

Supporters in more than 190 countries and territories will take part in the Earth Hour event and take action to ensure a brighter future for people and the planet. In its 17th year, Earth Hour has become more than a lights-out event. It has become a catalyst for positive environmental impact, which aims to drive major legislative changes through the power of people and collective action, as per the official website of the event.

Even though turning the lights off for an hour does not have much impact on the yearly emissions, the act on a collective scale done in solidarity may serve as a wake-up call for people around the world. WWF’s Earth Hour 2023 is calling on individuals, communities, and businesses to switch off their lights and spend 60 minutes doing something positive for the planet. Hundreds of local celebrity influencers are set to show their support and several events have been planned on March 25 to create awareness on conservation efforts.

This year, WWF-Mongolia will host a sustainable fashion show featuring upcycled redesigned clothes and WWF-Latvia will host its traditional Earth Hour concert and nature hikes, CNBC reported.

Meanwhile, Russia has said it will not observe the momentous hour. The Kremlin on Friday said Russia will skip the annual global Earth Hour event this weekend after the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) was labelled a “foreign agent” by Moscow. Russia has taken part in the event for 14 years.