MANILA, Philippines—Filipinos are being urged to think beyond the symbolic gesture of switching off lights and electrical appliances when they join Earth Hour on Saturday night.
Earth Hour is an annual worldwide event launched by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in 2007 to promote environmental awareness and action against climate change.
During Earth Hour, lights and nonessential appliances and gadgets are turned off for an hour from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m.
“Earth Hour is more than a short-term gimmick,” WWF Philippines communications manager Gregg Yan said.
“Earth Hour is just a start. Will we stop climate change by switching off our lights for 60 minutes? No. Not even if we do it monthly. Only through long-term solutions and will power shall we be able to win the war against man-made climate change,” he said.
He added: “When you switch off, you make a year-long commitment to reduce your impact on planet Earth. Switch to LEDs. Plant native trees. Convert your friends and family into environmentalists.”
The Philippines joined the Earth Hour movement in 2008.
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