It all started in Sydney, Australia as a single city event in 2007. Earth Hour hopes to engage hundreds of millions of people worldwide to take action and understand the interconnectivity of people and our environment (biodiversity/Earth and its impact on climate change and vice versa) through relevant issues such as air, water, and energy. Keeping this in mind, Connect2Earth invites people around the world to connect to each other and drive global awareness and action on biodiversity. This is the power of individuals to be a part of global conversations and solutions for our planet.
Uniquely this year, there were a couple of events that took place before the Earth Hour Lights Off. The first event was the Great Panda Quest that lasted for 10 days, from 16th to 25th March, 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm. It was a browser game where participants had to locate 10 hidden pandas around the Marina Bay area. It used their GPS location to guide them along. At each of the hidden stations, there is a quiz question or task where the participants have to complete.
Next is Earth Hour Marketplace that was held from 23rd to 25th March, 11:00 am to 10:00 pm. WWF invited green vendors to sell their products during this period, such as VeganBurg, Everyday Vegan, Scoopz Ice Cream, and Spatula & Whisk. A commemorable trait worth mentioning is that all of them incorporated sustainable practices into their businesses! Last but not least, there was the 60+ Countdown Bash from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm where some of the local artists gathered together to show their support for Earth Hour 2018.
Since 2009, Singapore Scout Association has been actively involved in Earth Hour. This year, 320 participants and 32 volunteers from The Singapore Scout Association took part in the 60+ Countdown Bash, as well as the Earth Hour Lights Off that took place at the open area near The Float @ Marina Bay. The energetic volunteers were segregated into three groups; the panda mascots, booths assistants and surveyors.
The adorable mascots made their appearance once every hour until 9:30 pm where they interacted and mingled with the excited crowd. For the booth assistants, they were stationed at the different WWF booths where they guided members of the public in the activity play and provided vital information about the booths they assisted in. Lastly, the surveyors had the opportunity to interview the crowd about the usage of plastics, its pollution and how individuals can do their part to improve the situation.
Even though Earth Hour 60+ is held on a yearly basis, everyone can still do their part daily as an individual. No one is too insignificant to create a more sustainable planet for our future generations.
“Leave this world a little better than you found it.”
– Lord Baden-Powell’s Last Message (1941)
