16 Electricity-Free and Fun Earth Hour Activities

What is Earth Hour?

Earth Hour is a global climate change initiative that aims to create awareness of people taking action and moving towards a sustainable future by turning the lights off.

Earth Hour started in Sydney, Australia, in 2007 with 2.2 million homes and businesses turning their lights off for one hour to make their stand against climate change that year. Today, there are over 162 countries and territories participating worldwide.

Join the movement this year to halt the damage on our environment by turning off your electricity on March 28th, from 8:30 PM to 9:30 PM local time.

Effects of Earth Hour

About 39% of America’s total energy is used to generate electricity, meaning, electricity consumption is a prevalent portion of a consumer's environmental footprint. Earth Hour is a tool to spread awareness of this damage to the environment. Even a mere hour without the use of electricity has a direct effect on the environmental impact.

After Earth Hour 2013, external lighting on several major city landmarks in Dubai was turned off and street lighting in certain areas was dimmed by 50%. The Electricity and Water Authority reported savings of 100 megawatt-hours of electricity. This represented a 2.4% reduction in demand compared to before the hour began. Now, multiply these results to a global scale.

Though these are important results, the purpose of Earth Hour isn’t primarily about conserving electricity in that hour, it’s a symbolic action with a long-term goal in mind; for people to continue to practice sustainable habits moving forward. Earth Hour acts as a reminder and celebration that we all have the power to come together and re-examine, re-focus, and re-engage the environmental topics that truly matter. Increasing awareness of environmental issues acts as a catalyst for future sustainable action.

Have Some Fun With Earth Hour

Participating in Earth Hour is simple to do and can be celebrated with friends and family. Whether it’s at home, at your favorite hangout, or even in the office, there are plenty of fun ways to participate!

1. Play games - sit around the living room and play a boards game, tell ghost stories, play a game of truth or dare, or play charades with friends and family. Get cozy and light some candles! 

2. Cook a raw dinner - Who says you need an oven or stove to make a delicious meal? Try out these raw recipes you can make without any electricity; Ahi Tuna Salad with Miso-Wasabi Dressing, Pistachio-Pear Cucumber Salad, Thai Peanut Zucchini Noodles.

3. Hula hoop party in the street - bring out the hula hoops and get active! This Earth Hour go outside: jump, dance, and hula hoop your way through the hour.

4. Have a block party - make it a community event and invite your friends and neighbors over to partake in the movement.

5. Dance in the moonlight - a wonderful way to show your love for the environment is to dance under the moonlight. It will be a first quarter moon on the 28th of March, meaning a half-moon, so plenty of illumination to show off your moves!

6. Succulent terrarium - make a craft during Earth Hour. We recommend creating something new out of something old...take an old coffee pot you rarely use, or that bowl that’s been sitting in your cabinet untouched, and decorate it with beautiful succulents to add some green to your home.

 

7. Build a fort - Earth Hour is an opportunity to use our hands, build something, get creative, and step away from electronics. Remember how fun it was to gather chairs, sheets, and pillows and build a fort?

8. Star gazing - spend Earth Hour looking up at the stars and remind yourself how important our Earth is.

9. Go to the park - look up your local park hours and play in the park. Slide down the slides or swing on the monkey bars. Depending on cloud cover, there should be enough natural light to see.

10. Read a book - finally finish that book you have been wanting to read for ages but haven’t found the time to.

11. Go camping - celebrate the environment in the environment! Go to your favorite campsite for the night or pitch a tent in your backyard.

12. Make puppets - create puppets and put on a puppet show for friends and family!

13. Paint or water color - get creative and use your artistic skills to paint a portrait of the Earth, your favorite beach, or a butterfly using water colors to add fun details!

14. Make world flags out of construction paper - celebrate the oneness in the global community that participates in Earth Hour by creating flags of your different countries using construction paper.

 

15. Play an instrument - whether you're playing the recorder or xylophone with your kids or guitar and bongo drums with friends, jam out with an instrument and make some groovy music!

16. Scavenger hunts - plan out an awesome scavenger hunt before Earth Hour, and once the lights go off, let the games begin!

How to Participate 

Join the global community in showing your commitment to this planet by turning off non-essential electricity from 8:30 PM until 9:30 PM (local time) on Saturday March 28th. During Earth Hour, turn off your lights, TV and computer.  Unplug any electronics not in use like coffee machines, lamps, chargers, and hair dryers. Get together with other families and friends and encourage them to participate. Go to EarthHour.org and sign up to participate in this year’s Earth Hour. Spread awareness of the movement now and get your friends and family to partake by tweeting #EarthDay or sharing on Facebook.


Beyond the Hour

Earth Hour is a symbolic action showing that nobody can do everything, but everybody can do something. Take your passion for the planet beyond the hour by being aware of the effects we have on our environment in our daily lives. Together let’s turn the inspiration of one hour into the actions of every hour. Reduce your carbon footprint by leading a sustainable lifestyle. Incorporate eco-friendly habits awareness into your everyday lifestyle. Turn off the lights when you leave a room, turn off the water faucet while brushing your teeth, take shorter showers, ride your bike, eat a meatless meal once a week. By participating in Earth Hour, you are joining millions of not only individuals but large businesses across all seven continents for a truly powerful and symbolic demonstration. 

No one can do everything, but everyone can do something. Are you ready to act?

Sources 
https://www.earthhour.org//official-videos  
http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/world/earth-hour
http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-and-you/affect/index.html
http://www.triplepundit.com/2011/03/earth-hour-benefit-sustainability/
http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2013/03/jersey_city_joins_global_commu.html

Earth Hour 2014

I'm sure you've heard of Earth Day, but what about Earth Hour? One sole hour can't make an impact on our planet and communities, you argue. But it can!

You may remember a post last March about a way to unite and empower people around the world regardless of where they live, if not, take a look here.


The Symbol

For one hour, Earth Hour and WWF ask you to turn off the lights -- one simple action that means so much. With the unnecessary lights off the world is silent, slowed, and in it's natural state -- the way is was a mere hundred and fifty years ago. This one small, inspiring action says much more. It is voicing your commitment to the future of our planet. It is participation and action to achieve a more sustainable world. For one hour, light some candles, unplug your coffee machine, hair dryer, and other unnecessary appliances and enjoy the darkness. The ultimate goal however, is to go beyond the hour.

The Burj Khalifa tower (L) in downtown Dubai during Earth Hour 2013. (AFP PHOTO/KARIM SAHIB)

The Movement

The 2007 inaugural Earth Hour was held in Sydney by over 2 million participants. Spreading quickly, in 2008, 371 cities and towns in over 35 countries turned off their lights to conserve power and voice a message about the state of the world's resources and environment. Even a sizable number of television and radio stations suspended regular broadcasting, halted transmissions or turned off the lights in their studio for an hour. National Geographic Channel, Cartoon Network, DhiTV and Villa TV (Maldives), Canal 5 (Mexico) and ABS-CBN (Philippine) were a few of these.

What started as an hour of conservation has turned into a global movement.

In 2011, Beyond The Hour was launched to give supporters a place to share their stories and pledge to do more. And in 2012, the I Will If You Will campaign was launched and more than 200,000 accepted an I Will If You Will challenge. Such challenges included a man would do a polar bear swim if 2,000 people agree to pick up trash by the beach, or Bill and Giuliana would wear Chicago Bears jerseys down the red carpet if 5,000 people commit to Earth Hour.

Over the last few years, dozen of projects have been completed by Earth Hour and WWF from the changing LED lights in the United States to planting half a million trees in the forests of Uganda. Today, Earth Hour Blue is an open source platform that allows people to crowd-fund projects all over the world! You can choose to donate to projects ranging from adopting puppies to train them as be crime fighting dogs, to installing solar lights in India to prevent tigers from entering villages.

The power is yours.


Celebrate Your Commitment To The Planet

On Saturday the 29th of March 2014 from 8:30-9:30pm local time join millions of people who switch off the lights for one hour to raise awareness for the planet. This worldwide grassroots movement, organized by WWF, unites people to protect the planet by engaging a massive mainstream community on a broad range of environmental issues.

For more information on celebrating Earth Hour visit here.

See if your city is one of thousands participating in Earth Hour 2014.

7 Benefits of Buying Local Products

There are almost 2 million farms in the US, 80% of which are small farms and most of those are family owned. These are parents, neighbors, PTA members, and soccer coaches.

Support Community and Strengthen Local Economy

Buying local produce and food products is simply the concept of buying food grown or raised as close to your home as possible, while supporting the people of your community and strengthening your local economy.

Fresher and More Nutritious 

There are many benefits of buying local produce other than supporting local farmers, ensuring jobs for them and income for their families. Local produce is also fresher. Local farm food was most likely picked one or two days from the time of purchase, ensuring optimal freshness and taste. Food also looses its nutrients the longer it takes to get to your home and into your diet.

Environmentally Friendly and Chemical Free

Local produce is also better for the environment and for your body. Local food doesn't travel far. Food from large producers travels about 2,00 miles on average from farm to table. This transportation and storage is energy intensive and pollutes both the air and table. Buying produce straight from the grower is the best way to know what goes into the soil and on your food. Small farms reduce the amount of chemicals, pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, etc. You can ask the farmer about their process and treatment, face-to-face. Isn't that a wonderful way to protect your family?

Easy to Find Every Day of the Week

Buying local products is easy. Visit http://www.localharvest.org/organic-farms/ and enter in your zip code for a list of farmers markets in your area. Then get shopping! Don't forget to bring your reusable bags!



Sources
http://www.localharvest.org/organic-farms/
http://www.buylocalvirginia.org/index.cfm/1,3,0,0,html/Why-Buy-Local
http://sdfarmbureau.org/BuyLocal/Buy-Local.php

Get Clean Air With No Work

Humans (and animals) need clear air to survive. And while we work with bureaucracies to stop burning coal and polluting the air, we can do something very simple to purify the air in our homes. Are you ready for this?

Houseplants! We know trees give us breathable oxygen by absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen through its leaves. No need to buy expensive and energy wasting air purifying machines, when all you need is a little green and TLC (tender loving care, that is).

According to NASA, here's a list of plants that best filter the air in your home.

·       English ivy (Hedera helix)

·       Spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum)

·       Golden pothos or Devil's ivy (Scindapsus aures or Epipremnum aureum)

·       Peace lily (Spathiphyllum 'Mauna Loa')

·       Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema modestum)

·       Bamboo palm or reed palm (Chamaedorea sefritzii)

·       Snake plant or mother-in-law's tongue (Sansevieria trifasciata'Laurentii')

·       Heartleaf philodendron (Philodendron oxycardium, syn.Philodendron cordatum)

·       Selloum philodendron (Philodendron bipinnatifidum, syn.Philodendron selloum)

·       Elephant ear philodendron (Philodendron domesticum)

·       Red-edged dracaena (Dracaena marginata)

·       Cornstalk dracaena (Dracaena fragans 'Massangeana')

·       Janet Craig dracaena (Dracaena deremensis 'Janet Craig')

·       Warneck dracaena (Dracaena deremensis 'Warneckii')

·       Weeping fig (Ficus benjamina)

·       Gerbera daisy or Barberton daisy (Gerbera jamesonii)

·       Pot mum or florist's chrysanthemum (Chrysantheium morifolium)

·       Rubber plant (Ficus elastica)

How cool is this? Little Critterz know it's important to have greenery in your home because of the tranquility and peace it brings, but we also love sustainability so these plants win in our book!

Our World Without Water

As you've probably seen us post about on our Facebook and Twitter pages, we've been shocked, nervous and curious about food production and waste as of late. We know that climate change is occurring and population is growing. So we wonder, what factors are contributing to the impending food crises? After all, there is estimated to be 9 million people in the world by 2050, and poverty and starvation is already a huge problem.

Water is the Worlds Most Precious Commodity

In Developed Nations, 95% of water that enters the home goes down the drain.

We know long showers, and letting the water run while brushing your teeth and washing your face wastes water after all 27% of water usage is from showering. But did you know that receiving one newspaper every day uses 66,000 gallons of water each year? Holy cow!

70% of water usage is for irrigation. But over half of the water used for irrigation is lost to leaks!

Trends

Increased population
Decreasing productivity due to climate change
Changing consumption

What People Are Eating Is Changing

In 2010, the world consumed 235 million tons of meat. By 2020, it is expected the world will consume an additional 60 million tons.

Producing 1kg of animal protein requires 100 times more water than 1kg of grain protein.

Let's Talk About Waste

24% of calories produced are not consumed. That's 198 million hectares, or the size of Mexico. Think about all of the energy and water that goes into producing this food, only to be thrown away!

In monetary terms, the average US American family wastes $1600 in food every year.

A UK report suggests that food waste if given to pigs instead of incarcerated could provide 800,000 tons of pork per year.

Anyone Else Nervous Yet?

So what can we do?

Grocery shop more often, but buy less. Buy what you need for the next day or two. I think we in the US feel so pressed for time that we make excuses about not having time to run to the store for an item we need. But wouldn't we rather make the time to go more often instead of over buying, over spending, and wasting what we don't really need just because we want to be "safe not sorry"?

Drive less. One car uses 40,000 gallons of water in gasoline. Walk or ride your bike to the grocery store. Making lifestyle choices to be more active everyday will cut down on gym time, leaving more time to be conscious about buying habits and the environment. Can we say win, win!

What are you doing to save water or prevent food waste? Comment below and let us know!

World Oceans Day: June 8

The Earth's dry land covers just 30% of the planet. Conversely, the ocean covers 71% and is home to 99% of the world's inhabitants. One mouthful of ocean water can contain millions of bacterial cells, hundreds of thousands of phytoplankton and tends of thousands of zooplankton. The Great Barrier Reef is the largest living structure on Earth and the blue whale is bigger than any dinosaur that ever walked on land.

Why you should help protect the ocean:
-generates most of the oxygen we breathe
-provides fish and other seafood to feed us
-regulates climate by absorbing carbon dioxide
-naturally recycles and cleans water; 86% of the water we drink comes from the ocean
-offers potential medicine

In honor of World Oceans Day next Saturday, June 8, we encourage you to get involved, and get educated about our ocean!

What you can do to help protect the ocean:
Use reusable grocery bags and always choose paper over plastic. The United Nations Environmental Programme estimated in 2006 that every square mile of ocean contains 46,000 pieces of floating plastic. Plastic debris causes deaths to over a million seabird and 100,000 marine mammals every year.

Global climate change has an impact on the oceans. Curve energy consumption by turning off lights when your not in the room, unplugging electronics when not in use, riding your bike or walking when you can (fun fact: 40% of car rides are less than 2 miles!), take the stairs, switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs, and open windows or bundle up instead of oversetting the thermostat.

Respect the Beach and clean up after yourself when you go. Don't interfere with wildlife, or remove rocks and coral. And participate in beach clean ups in your area! They're fun, only a few hours, and you can't beat the view!
**Click here to view events in your area. Events happen all year round!

Make safe, sustainable seafood choices. Some fish species are being overexploited due to demand, habitat loss and fishing practices. Know which fish are good to order and shop for. Eat lower on the food chain
**For help on what seafood is best to eat, and which to avoid go to this Seafood Decision Guide here.

And most importantly, educate yourself about the ocean and it's marine wildlife. The more you know, the more you will want to help protect it because after all, which ocean do you prefer?

Curbing Light Pollution

Most of us live in urban areas, comprised of streets, homes, offices, parking lots and other buildings. We use artificial light to brighten our homes and path ways in the dark. Rarely do we see stars. Maybe only a handful of them, and they seem to be few and far between. We plan vacations around being in the openness of the desert, mountains and valleys to soak up the beauty of the world's natural nighttime light.

As civilizations arise into industrial societies, artificial light is necessary to live, work and play. However most of the lights are being used improperly, compromising both the night sky as well as other inhabitants of the wild. Birds rely on night for proper mating and hunting, and turtles are distracted by artificial light and don't hatch eggs properly. While the necessity and use of lights are not in question, their design most certainly is.

All cities have ordinances preventing the incorrect use and design of lights. However, we've still tried to find a house for the first time and the porch lights are illuminating the garage or a tree instead of the address. We've all had to squint from the glare produced by lights to see if someone was on the other side of the door, car, or tree because drastic shadows were preventing us from seeing someone instead of allowing us to see that person.

There is a solution to light pollution, angle lights down towards the path you wish to illuminate, and create shields from preventing the light shining on the sky.

The International Dark Sky Association is the only non-profit created to preserve and protect the nighttime skies through environmentally responsible outdoor lighting. It has created a program for communities, parks and reserves to aspire to be included in, for all who achieve this association are exceptional in their efforts of limiting light pollution.

For practical products and tips:

Guideline for Residencial Lighting.

Search approved fixtures.

Earth Hour 2013

Earth Hour began in 2007 in Sydney, Australia. People congregated on the harbor while homes and businesses turned off all of their lights. The city was dark, people were united and inspired.

Since then, Earth Hour has become the largest voluntary action for the environment, spanning 7000 cities and towns in 152 countries and territories on all 7 continents. On Saturday March 23, from 8:30-9:30 PM, you are encouraged to turn off your lights to conserve energy, and be part of a global effort for good.












Earth Hour was created to unite and empower people regardless of where in the world they live. It was created back in 2006 when sustainability was merely a blimp in our vocabulary radar, and definitely not affecting our every day lives. But as the world progressed towards deforestation, overpopulation, and exploitation of resources, we find ourselves in the middle of oil crises, superstorms, floods and the like.












Another goal of Earth Hour is to challenge people to change the world. Pledge what they can do to help save the planet we live on. Beyond the Hour and the 'I Will if You Will' campaign were launched in 2011 to continue the people's efforts throughout the year. The Girl Scouts of America changed over 130,000 light bulbs in community centers and homes in the US (equivalent to planting 7,000 acres of woodland every year!), in Russia after using Earth Hour efforts to get over 100,000 signatures, marine legislation was passed in Parliament. In France, legislation was passed that businesses turn lights off after 1 AM, saving both business money and emissions effecting the environment. But the ultimate goal of Earth Hour is to create a catalyst for sustainability efforts, and that 100% of power will be generated by renewable resources.

View the official Earth Hour video.

To find or create a local event, go here. Visit beyondthehour.org to see how you can make a difference all year or click here to make a pledge of what you would do to save the Earth.