Earth Hour was started in 2007 in Sydney by World Wide Fund of Nature to promote one hour of no power.

The goal of this project is to achieve greater energy efficiency by encouraging households and businesses to turn off non-essential lights and electrical appliances for  just one hour.  The awareness was to promote how one could save power and energy and reduce their carbon footprint on the earth.

Earth Hour falls on the last Saturday of March and this year it will be celebrated on 29th March from 8:30 to 9:30 pm (local time). As a parent who advocates green living, I realised that the Earth Hour was not enough to reduce the carbon footprint on the earth.

Instead I came up with these small things that I do on a regular basis to do my bit to save energy and power.

You and I can follow these simple tips so that we leave the earth a better place to live in!

Here they are: 10 tips to follow to celebrate Earth Hour every day. 

1. I switch off the lights when not in use—the most basic rule of them all!
2. In the mornings I open the curtains to allow natural light to flow in. Natural sunlight also has its own way of purifying the place.
3. I realised that unplugging the electronics at night before I slept led to a small saving on the electricity bill. I unplug the laptops, televisions, microwave and AC when I am not using it.
4. I had no clue that I was increasing the carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere when I heated dinner. Instead what I do is move to cold meals once a week. Salads made with fruits and veggies don’t need to be cooked and I save power too!
5. Switch off the wi-fi for the night. I would be sleeping and the chances are rare that I would be checking emails at 3:00 a.m.! If you have multiple gadgets connected to wi-fi, you can switch them all off and save energy.
6. I made the switch to LED lights which are more environmentally friendly and they also help to save on electricity. They’re a bit on the expensive side but they last longer than a normal bulb.
7. I follow an energy conservation schedule with a few doable tips to follow, ranging from walking short distances, spending time outdoor or taking up an outdoor activity. I also gather green living tips that are easy to follow.
8. My husband recently picked up a solar powered battery charger on one of his trips and I find it’s a brilliant idea to use the solar energy to charge the batteries.
9. I love to dry the laundry on the clothesline rather than using a dryer. Drying the clothes in natural sunlight can also clean your clothes well.
10. I love aromatherapy, so at least twice a month, I switch off the lights and light diffusers instead. The lovely flames throw beautiful patterns on the wall and emit wonderful and calming fragrances that help me relax and unwind. This rejuvenates my energy and helps me save electricity too.

Aren’t these simple steps so easy to follow? Why do we need to wait for an hour in a year to save the power?

We can start now and do our bit to make earth a better place to live in! Let us spread the awareness and educate people about the importance of conserving energy for the generations to come.

You can read how I plan to make Earth Hour a success in my blog too.

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Editor: Catherine Monkman

Photo: Flickr

Elephant’s Earth Hour video:

Earth Hour – Boulder, Colorado from Alex King on Vimeo.