How to turn Earth Hour into a long-term sustainable habit

On Saturday 30th of March, millions around the UK are expected to switch off any source of light for an hour in an attempt to help the planet. According to WWF, the main coordinator, individuals at home as well as big landmarks like Buckingham Palace and the Eiffel Tower pitch in to show they care

By Maryam Nassif

Participating in Earth Hour may seem effective, but here is how to help Planet Earth. Credit: Adobe Stock/xuanhuongho

But why do we really do it, and how effective is it? Earth Hour has become an international movement, and it's all about trying to get the conversation going.

Through grand coming togethers of people, posting pictures of darkness and candle-lit rooms on social media with a trending hashtag #Connect2Earth, participants hope to influence laws and policies, and to shift the priorities of governments around the world towards environmental issues. 

As important as it may seem to spread awareness as a community, some remain sceptical. 

Adam McGibbon is a senior campaigner at Global Witness, an organisation that confronts corruption in the exploitation of natural resources. To him, Earth Hour is a scam:

"Earth Hour makes people think they've done something useful by turning off the lights for an hour and lets the real villains in the climate change story off the hook. These companies have known about climate change for decades and yet spent millions on disinformation campaigns, and they still fund pro-fossil-fuel politicians. We need a ruthless focus on them and vilifying them - that's the only way to win."

In an article he wrote for Open Democracy, he explains that there are better ways to truly take action and make a noticeable impact. 

Wendy from Moral Fibres, a blog about green living and sustainable lifestyle, suggests that we should perhaps look at the way we consume plastic: "From using a reusable water bottle or coffee cup, to carrying around some a metal straw, there are lots of initial steps you can make that will make an impact way beyond Earth Hour."

Georgina Caro, the founder of Gypsy Soul blog, says we should focus on our energy consumption by turning the heaters down: "Even turning it down by just 1 degree will make a difference. For every degree you increase your heating by you increase your energy use by around 5-10 per cent. Turn it down, grab your slippers and put on a jumper. Not only will you be saving money but you'll also be helping the environment."