World Wildlife Fund’s global movement, Earth Hour, will take place on March 23 this year. The initiative urges individuals to switch off all the lights around them, as a symbol of support for the planet.
Setting the stage for the movement, actors Dia Mirza and Dulquer Salman and singer Raghu Dixit have joined hands with WWF-India as the Goodwill Ambassadors for Earth Hour India.
“I'm planning to give an hour for Earth by educating and encouraging everyone I know and everyone who loves my music to do their bit for our planet,” said Raghu Dixit.
“I will be making resolutions for myself for the year ahead on ways I could contribute to spreading awareness, and I will help this movement and its ethos to sustain all through the year towards saving our planet, its natural resources, wildlife, and beauty,” the singer added.
While the Earth Hour has usually been about the lights-off campaign, WWF took it up a notch by expanding the initiative in 2023. In addition to turning off their lights, the organisation now urges individuals to create the biggest hour for Earth by contributing 60 minutes towards doing something positive for the planet.
Last year, Sudarsan Pattnaik, Ranveer Brar and Nakash Aziz led the movement as goodwill ambassadors.
Speaking on how she tries to do her bit for the planet, actress Dia Mirza shared that she ensures her son bonds with nature and learns to appreciate its profound magic.
“At home, we segregate and compost waste, refuse single-use plastics, and conserve energy and water because we believe that every little thing we do to care for the environment adds up,” she said.
Earth Hour 2023 saw massive participation with over 190 countries and territories contributing 4,10,000 hours for the planet. This year, the organisation hopes to continue uniting for people and the planet.
Actor Dulquer Salman, who is also the WWF-India Nature Guardian Ambassador, requested people to join him in making this year’s Earth Hour the biggest one so far. "Every year, Earth Hour unites millions of people in India and around the world. We all step up for the planet by taking small steps to live a more sustainable life. I will be switching off all non-essential lights to mark Earth Hour 2024,” the actor shared.
Earth Hour will be observed on March 23, from 8.30 pm to 9.30 pm.
