Earth Hour: time to use your power

Earth Hour - a movement started by the World Wildlife Fund for Nature - asks citizens around the world to switch off their electricity for one hour in honour of the earth, and as a signal of their commitment to a more sustainable lifestyle.

Held from 20h30 to 21h30 local time in March every year (this year it falls on Saturday 29 March), Earth Hour is celebrated by over 7 000 cities and towns worldwide.

Honouring the earth

The everyday choices you make - what to eat, whether you bath or shower, how you get to and from home - add up to a large impact on the environment. This year, GCI is encouraging you not just to think about this impact, but to commit to changing your choices for the better.

Make your promise public at www.wwf.org.za - as an individual or as part of a larger organisation. Universities across South Africa are being encouraged to pledge. If you'd like to share your pledge wider afield, download WWF's toolkit, which includes messaging guidelines and campaign collateral.

Celebrating sustainably

If you're part of the UCT community, you don't need to spend that time alone, in the dark: Earth Hour should be as much a celebration as a commemoration. That's why GCI is hosting an '˜unplugged' event on with food, fire dancers, capoeira and acoustic music on lower campus.

Event details:
When: Saturday 29 March from 19h30 to 21h30
Where: Grace Lawn (lower campus)
Bring: snacks and drinks (but leave your lights off, and if possible, your car at home: take public transport instead)