For goodness sake, it’s not about saving electricity.
It’s that time of the year where we will countdown together across 180 across countries and territories around the world to do one iconic thing: switch off the lights.
But it’s not about doing it to “save the earth”.
It is a symbol of unity. A symbol of hope. A symbol of power in collective action.
To prove the point, Earth Hour 2019 aims to bring together communities to drive action for nature, highlighting the impact of individual actions on our one and only planet.
The three-day festival (March 29-31) features nature-themed experiences that emphasise on the rapid loss of nature due to human activities.
By way of hands-on workshops and family-friendly activities, it brings together thousands in Singapore to be conscious citizens who make sustainable choices on a daily basis.
Fun fact: the physical festival set-up for booths and workshops are not only created from recycled wooden pallets, they will be further reused after the event! To put it simply, the event will be carbon neutral, zero waste and feature sustainable solutions for large-scale events.
But if all of these still sound heavy, we get you. Which is why we came up with a non-exhaustive list of 10 cool reasons why you have to pencil down Earth Hour 2019 in your calendar, stat:
#1 Immerse yourself in a multi-sensorial maze
Eye opening.
Biodiversity on Earth has declined 60% over the last 40 years to rampant poaching, overfishing, deforestation and more. Travel through the passage of time in this experiential maze featuring three habitats: forest, ocean and frozen world – and find out how we are, too, the solution to the problems we created.
The best part: The maze is made from recycled or recyclable materials. Materials like used textile and recycled pipes are repurposed to create the ‘forest’ and ‘ocean’ zones in the maze.
#2 Appreciate food options that are healthy for you and the planet
Instant mood lifter.
The food we eat daily can put a strain on our planet. Meat, in fact, is one of the biggest driver of deforestation that contributes to the rapid loss of nature. In celebration of Earth Hour, Bread Street Kitchen will be serving a special Earth Hour menu with selection of plant-based and sustainable items including the Impossible BSK burger, sustainable fish and chips and the watermelon salad.
#3 Get moving to Liv Lo’s sell-out yoga class
#FitSphere
Founder of FitSphere, Liv Lo will be conducting a HIIT yoga class on Saturday morning, 10am. Bring your fitness posse and soak in some sun and sweat it out. The perfect way to kickstart your weekend and boost your energy. Limited spots are available to book on fit-sphere.com.
#4 Tune in to tasteful music by popular local bands
Chill vibes.
Headliners Sezairi and Tabitha Nauser will be performing after the symbolic lights-out moment. Also: enjoy music by favourite local pop-rock band 53A who performed our 2016 National Day Song, followed by internet breakout star Preetipls and hip-hop artist Subhas – both guaranteed to charm your socks off. The other two days, expect laidback evenings to tasteful tunes from a spectacular line-up of the best local acts featuring the likes of Cosmic Child, Jack and Rai, Subsonic Eye at the Music For Nature.
#5 Countdown to connect to earth
Lights out.
The highlight of the penultimate night: our annual countdown to the symbolic, collective lights-out moment. This year, WWF-Singapore’s Panda Ambassador Liv Lo, along with other Earth Hour Ambassadors, Charmaine Yee, Paul Foster and Preetipls have been roped in to lead this iconic moment.
#6 Bask in fun with family-friendly activities on Sunday
Quality time.
Learn more about wildlife and nature the fun way by taking part as a parent-child duo in our first ever Panda Junior Trivia Challenge. Then face off other competitors to emerge as the winner! Remember to look out for our booth and subscribe to Panda Junior, Singapore’s first wildlife magazine for kids.
#7 Learn what it means to truly lead a sustainable lifestyle
Be your own hero.
Complete your festival experience with shopping booths, sustainable workshops and a fashion exhibit. Indulge in guilt-free shopping with eco-conscious lifestyle vendors: The Green Collective, Trove of Gaia, Banyan Tree Essentials. Through workshops by Love Nature 4K, Wah So Simple and Triple Eyelid, learn how easy it is to be a conscious citizen by going hands-on with soaps, beeswax wraps and carpentry (with recycled wood, of course).
Fans of fashion and art will also delight in our interactive art piece by The Fashion Pulpit, learning how we can reduce negative impacts of fashion, socially and environmentally.
#8 Reusable cups, containers…and event structures
Zero waste.
Building a circular economy where waste materials are converted to valuable resource inputs is key. We work with local manufacturing facility Xcel Industrial Supplies and design company Triple Eyelid to create booths, workshop spaces and chill-out corners that can be further re-used for more events. To ensure a zero-waste festival, bring your own reusable items or rent them from Revolv and Shinpuru! Plus, we are addressing food waste with Citizen Farm who will be converting them to fertilisers after the event!
#9 Upcycle your belongings in a meaningful way
Build a circular economy.
If you haven’t Kondo-ed everything in your house (see why our planet needs Marie Kondo), this is the perfect opportunity to donate your old goods with a purpose. After you have compiled clothes that no longer “spark joy”, bring them to collection points at any wt+ stores such as Topshop, Topman, G2000 and more, managed by Wing Tai Retail from 30 March 2019. Garments collected will be sold to be reused in other countries or recycled into industrial cloth. In partnership with Earth Hour 2019, Samsonite is also offering a 30-40% discount off selected luggage models if you trade in a luggage of any brand. Luggage collected during the campaign will be donated to Salvation Army to be given a second gift of life.
#10 Be part of a bigger cause than yourself
Be conscious citizens.
Think about what empowerment has done for you. Ever felt that spine-chilling goosebumps when you are cheering for a favourite soccer team in a room full of die-hard fans like yourself? That’s the feeling we get when people with a shared goal come together.
We are working with communities acrossSingapore to come together and drive change for nature in the largest grassroots movement for the planet. National University of Singapore (NUS) is opening their school for a night of stargazing, while Ramada and Days Hotels Singapore, Takashimaya Department Store, West Coast GRC and Changi-Simei CC will be hosting their own campaign and eco-festival.
UPDATE: Watch how 40,000 people added their voice to take action for nature at Singapore’s first zero waste Earth Hour below.
For full details and latest updates on Earth Hour 2019, go to wwf.sg/earthhour.
Main image: Ryan Everton/ Unsplash.com
Read more about why it may be too late if we leave it to the kids to fix the planet, our 2019 wishlist, and Singapore companies who committed to reduce plastic use.
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