United Nations wants more than an hour for the planet

In a message to the world on the eve of the seventh Earth Hour, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has set the agenda for this year’s hour of inspiration.
“We participate with an undimmed determination to take action on climate change,” he said.
“Everyone has a role to play. Governments need to provide the political will, businesses can contribute solutions, and civil society, especially young people, can mobilize global action.  Together, let’s do our part and shed light on common sense answers for a cleaner, greener world.”

© Jeremiah Armstrong / WWF-Canada

With the impact of climate change and environmental damage being palpably felt in people’s lives in cities and homes across the planet – from major flooding in Jakarta, fires in Australia, smog in China’s cities, to Hurricane Sandy in the U.S. – the recognition that increasingly extreme weather is harming families, communities and economies has brought the need for action to the forefront of the campaign.
Earth Hour, an initiative of WWF, will take place tomorrow, Saturday March 23 at 8:30 p.m. across the world.
The movement will celebrate environmental outcomes generated by its participants in the last year, including the passing of legislation to protect Russia’s seas from oil pollution after a petition with more than 122,000 signatures was presented to Parliament during WWF-Russia’s I Will If You Will campaign.
The Earth Hour Forest in Uganda was established as a first step to combat deforestation in the country, and the Earth Hour City Challenge is another beyond the hour initiative that rrecognizes cities taking amazing steps towards a 100% renewable future.
But organizers are pushing for even more action beyond the hour.
WWF-Russia has just secured more than 100,000 signatures from Russian citizens for their Earth Hour 2013 petition for amendments to the current forest legislation. The petition may be the catalyst to reinstate a ban on industrial logging in the country’s protective forests, which make up an area twice the size of France.
The UN Headquarters in New York City will join more than 7000 cities and towns in more than 150 countries and territories for Earth Hour 2013, with Palestine, Tunisia, Galapagos, Suriname, French Guyana, St. Helena and Rwanda among those joining the global movement for the first time.
Visit wwf.ca to join Team Earth Hour!
For live updates on Earth Hour 2013 on Saturday March 23, go to https://earthhour.org/live

Earth Hour 2013 will take place at 8.30pm – 9.30pm on Saturday 23 March