Henriette Jacobsen, TheCostaRicaNews.com
On Saturday March 26 The Costa Rica News took part in the Earth Hour 2011 event, and switched off electricity for the evening to help save the climate.
Earth Hour started in Sydney, Australia, in 2007 when 2.2 million individuals and more than 2,000 businesses turned off their lights for 60 minutes to take a stand against climate change. One year later, the initiative became a global sustainability movement with more than 50 million people around the world from 35 countries or territories participating. Global landmarks such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, CN Tower in Toronto, and Rome’s Colosseum, all stood in darkness, as symbols of hope for a cause that gets more important and urgent as each hour passes.
In March 2009, hundreds of millions of people participated in the third Earth Hour. Over 4000 cities in 88 countries or territories officially switched off electricity in show of their support for the planet. By doing so, Earth Hour 2009 became the world’s largest global climate change initiative.
On Saturday March 27, Earth Hour 2010 became the biggest Earth Hour ever. A record 128 countries and territories joined the global display of climate action. Iconic buildings and landmarks from Asia Pacific to Europe and Africa to the Americas switched off.
Here at The Costa Rica News, we support the idea of Earth Hour and encourage you to take part in the event every year, but also to go beyond. Think about what else you can do to make a difference in your everyday life: turn off unnecessary lights, unplug unused appliances or electronics, wear lighter-weight clothing instead of cranking the air conditioning… Even these small things add up to make a huge positive difference.