Why I Left My Job for Earth Hour

When I joined the Earth Hour team at the beginning of the year, I suspected my time at WWF would not be your ordinary internship, and I'm happy to say I was 100% right!

When I joined the Earth Hour team at the beginning of the year, I suspected my time at WWF would not be your ordinary internship, and I'm happy to say I was 100% right!

Highlights have included sampling sumptuous sustainable food by celeb chef supporter Tom Aikens, making trips to the Houses of Parliament to talk to over 50 MP's about Earth Hour, even leading a panda conga down more than one high street...needless to say, it's been a blast!

What has excited me the most however has been witnessing the Earth Hour enthusiasm pouring in from all corners of the country. From the Carnglaze Caverns of Cornwall to the Iron Age Broch of Clickimin on the Shetland Islands, individuals, organisations and landmarks across the UK are committing to switching off with us on the 28th March.

For those who do not know, Earth Hour takes place on Saturday 28th March from 8.30pm-9.30pm and is the world's biggest environmental event driving awareness and positive action for the protection of the planet. Last year millions of people worldwide came together by switching off their lights for one hour to show they care about our brilliant planet. The celebration starts in Samoa and ends in Tahiti, hitting 162 countries. Across the globe famous landmarks go dark, from Sydney Opera House in Australia to the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, to our very own Big Ben in London. And each year, our amazing supporters find creative ways to celebrate, ranging from lights-out yoga to enjoying a dinner with loved ones by candlelight.

The really exciting thing I have found is the impact that Earth Hour is having - it's so much more than one hour of darkness! From crowdfunding to campaigns to protect The Great Barrier Reef or The Amazon, Earth Hour is making a difference. Here in the UK last year over 9 million people took part in the UK and 85% (NfP Synergy 2014) of those that signed up said they felt inspired to go on to live more sustainably beyond the hour. Globally, the world's first Earth Hour forest was created in Uganda, more than 100,000 people supported a petition on forest legislation in Russia and thousands of people committed to protect the Great Barrier Reef.

It's really crazy to think that from a one city initiative in Sydney in 2007, Earth Hour has become a truly global campaign raising mass awareness and action to protect the planet. I for one feel totally inspired to be just one of millions who will be celebrating Earth Hour this weekend. So join up and make sure you are part of something big!

Sign up to Earth Hour and join the global celebration on Saturday 28 March 8.30pm-9.30pm, then join the conversation on the Earth Hour UK Facebook and @wwf_uk on Twitter using the hashtag #EarthHourUK.

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