The Earth, the sole cosmic home to millions of different species, is threatened by the human destructive actions to an extent rarely seen in the planet�s history. With an accelerating trend of burning fossil fuels, polluting the air and the oceans, destroying ecosystems, changing the climate, and endangering vulnerable species and their habitats, a dark future looms on the horizon, not only for us but for the silent inhabitants of the planet.

It seems that there is an urgent need for a time to remind ourselves that we have to protect the Earth and stop the current trend, which otherwise could turn our vibrant planet to a barren and uninhabitable space rock.



Since a decade ago, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) have been urging all individuals, communities, households and businesses worldwide to turn off all their non-essential lights for an hour from 8:30 to 9:30�p.m. local time. The time span, called the Earth Hour, is observed on March 19 every year to raise awareness about the climate change.



[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="555"] The ancient Temple of Parthenon atop the Acropolis hill goes dark for the Earth Hour environmental campaign in Athens on March 19, 2016. (AFP)[/caption]


The initiative was started in Sydney, Australia in 2007, and has been observed by many other cities around the world since 2008.


UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon also released a statement about the 2016 Earth Hour, saying, �Together, we can create the low-emissions future the world needs for sustainable development and a life of dignity and stability for all. Earth Hour reminds us that we all have a role to play.�


All the lights at UN iconic headquarters complex in New York and other facilities around the world were shut off in the Earth Hour. A large number of prominent monuments and buildings across the globe also sank into darkness for one hour.

By Press TV