Tonight, March 29, 2008 is the second annual Earth Hour, sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund. The idea behind this hour is to raise awareness of steps we can all do to fight climate change. It’s an international event. The idea is simple, turn off your lights at 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. your local time. Turn off those computers. You can leave on security lights, the fridge and the heat! Millions of people around the globe are participating. If you go to do a Google search today, you’ll see even they have “turned off the lights”.
This hour is a great time to talk about the environment. Can your family start recycling? Join a clean up a river or park project? Buy local or organic food? Take reusable bags to the grocery store?
I am looking forward to the hour. We will light some safe candles, eat some popcorn, and play some board games. I think we’ll read some books like Lynne Cherry’s The Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest, or A River Ran Wild. There’s also the beautiful Water Dance and Cloud Dance by Thomas Locker. For younger children there are the First Wonders of Nature board books.
The World Wildlife Fund website suggests having a night picnic. That sounds like a lot of fun. I can see families looking at the moon and the stars, sipping on hot chocolate. Since it will probably be about 20 degrees here tonight, I’m thinking it will be a little chilly for our Colorado night temperatures.
I am excited that there are so many cities participating in Earth Hour. It’s a great time to get out the globe, explain time zones, and find these flagship cities of Atlanta, Chicago, Phoenix, San Francisco, Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Bangkok, Copenhagen, Bogota, and Brisbane. When it’s not a lights off hour, check out those cities and our amazing planet with Google Earth.
Have a happy Earth Hour!
Also See:
Earth Day Activities for Families
Earth Day Activities in Families.com Forums