Important Facts For Prelims
Earth Hour
- 30 Mar 2022
- 4 min read
Why in News?
Every year on 26th March, people around the planet take an hour off electricity by switching off their lights at homes and offices as a show of support for conservation of energy during the World Earth Hour.
- It has to be noted here that the Earth Hour is different from Earth Day (22nd April).
What is the World Wildlife Fund for Nature?
- About:
- It is the world’s leading conservation organisation and works in more than 100 countries.
- Established:
- It was established in 1961 and is headquartered at Gland, Switzerland
- Mission:
- To conserve nature and reduce the most pressing threats to the diversity of life on Earth.
- Other Initiatives of WWF:
What is an Earth Hour?
- About:
- Earth Hour is the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF)’s annual initiative that began in 2007.
- It is held every year on the last Saturday of March.
- It encourages people from more than 180 countries to switch off the lights from 8.30 pm to 9.30 pm as per their local time.
- The idea is to refrain from the use of non-essential lighting to save energy in a symbolic call for environmental protection.
- 2022 Theme:
- Shape Our Future
What are the Objectives and Significance?
- Earth Hour aims to increase awareness and spark global conversations on protecting nature, tackling the climate crisis, and working together to shape a brighter future for humans.
- It calls for the world to unite in a moment of solidarity for people and the planet.
- The practice has become a catalyst for dramatic change and collective action towards protecting the environment.
- The symbolic lights-out Earth Hour has become the world's largest grassroots movement to raise awareness about climate change and energy conservation and to assure a sustainable, brighter future.
What are the Major Indian Initiatives for Energy Conservation?
- Perform Achieve and Trade Scheme (PAT): It is a market based mechanism to enhance the cost effectiveness in improving the Energy Efficiency in Energy Intensive industries through certification of energy saving which can be traded.
- Standards and Labeling: The scheme was launched in 2006 and is currently invoked for equipment/appliances.
- Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC): It was developed for new commercial buildings in 2007.
- Demand Side Management: It is the selection, planning, and implementation of measures intended to have an influence on the demand or customer-side of the electric metre.
UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Questions (PYQs)
Q. Consider the following statements regarding ‘Earth Hour’: (2014)
- It is an initiative of UNEP and UNESCO.
- It is a movement in which the participants switch off the lights for one hour on a certain day every year.
- It is a movement to raise the awareness about the climate change and the need to save the planet.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 3 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Ans: (c)