Back to News and Resources
3 Ways To Get Your Residents and Businesses Excited About Earth Hour
Did you know that Earth Hour is happening on Saturday, March 24 this year? Over 10 years ago, Earth Hour started as a symbolic event in Australia to help inspire people to get involved in helping the planet.
Today, this event has become a global phenomenon as the largest grassroots movement for the environment. 180 countries are expected to participate in Earth Hour this year by dimming or turning off lights from 8:30 to 9:30 pm in their local time zones.
We’ve put together three helpful ways that you can encourage your residents and local businesses to participate in this symbolic global event.
1) Promote Earth Hour on Social Media
Does your municipality have a Facebook or Twitter account? If yes, you can promote this event on social media to create excitement in your community. Earth Hour organizers are using hashtags such as #EarthHour and #Connect2Earth in their posts.
Here are examples of social media posts that you can use on your Facebook and Twitter accounts:
- Did you know that #EarthHour is on March 24? You can participate in this symbolic global movement by dimming or turning off your lights from 8:30 to 9:30 pm. #RecycleCoach
- Join millions of people for #EarthHour on March 24th by dimming your lights at home for one hour from 8:30 to 9:30 pm #Connect2Earth #RecycleCoach
2) Host A Local Earth Hour Event
Bringing people together to make a difference in their local community and to spark conversations about finding solutions for the planet can be empowering. You can leverage the power of community and conversation by hosting a local Earth Hour event.
You may be interested in organizing a “Lights Out Picnic” event, where residents can participate in a picnic in the dark from 8:30 to 9:30 pm local time. Event participants can be encouraged to bring their own food that has organic and responsibly-sourced ingredients, along with reusable utensils (where possible).
Another idea for a local event is to host an educational “Earth Hour Stargazing Evening” with local members of the astronomy and academic community. Residents can learn more about our planet and the universe, participate in telescope viewings, or watch planetarium shows (if available).
3) Encourage Local Businesses and Employees To Take Action
You can also encourage local businesses and employees to take action with a “Businesses Care About Earth Hour” event. Employers can work with their teams to dim or turn off any non-essential lights from buildings and signage from 8:30 to 9:30 pm on March 24.
Employees can also participate by taking small actions on Earth Hour and beyond that will have a big impact for the planet over time. They can think about:
- Minimizing printing and photocopying where possible
- Walking, biking or taking public transportation to and from work
- Reducing plastic usage and opting for reusable bags and containers
These are just three ways that you can get your residents and local businesses involved in Earth Hour. Are there any local events that you are organizing this year related to recycling and waste management? Send us a quick note about your event and we may feature you in an upcoming blog post.