This combination of pictures created on March 30, 2019, shows St. Peter鈥檚 Basilica before (top) and after (bottom) being plunged into darkness for the Earth Hour environmental campaign in the Vatican on March 30, 2019. AFP
PARIS, France 鈥� The Eiffel Tower, the Sydney Opera House and even the ancient Acropolis in Athens were plunged into darkness for an hour Saturday聽as part of a global campaign to raise awareness about climate change and its impact on the planet鈥檚 vanishing plant and animal life.
The 13th edition of Earth Hour, organized by green group WWF, saw millions of people across 180 countries turn off their lights at 8:30 pm to highlight energy use and the need for conservation.
鈥淲e are the first generation to know we are destroying the world.鈥� And we could be the last that can do anything about it,鈥� the charity said.
鈥淲e have the solutions; we just need our voices to be heard.鈥�
A combination image of two photographs shows a general view of the Marina Bay Sands hotel and resort lit up (top) and after the lights were turned off (bottom) during the Earth Hour environmental campaign in Singapore on March 30, 2019. AFP
WWF-Australia CEO Dermot O鈥橤orman told AFP that 鈥淓arth hour still is the world鈥檚 largest grassroots movement for people to take action on climate change鈥�.
鈥淚t鈥檚 about individuals taking personal action but joining with hundreds of millions of people around the world to show that not only do we need urgent action on climate change but we need to be protecting our planet,鈥� he added.
Dozens of companies around the world聽said they would take part in this year鈥檚 campaign, which also saw Singapore鈥檚 skyline go dark and Hong Kong turn off the lights along the Victoria Harbor.
This combination of pictures created on March 30, 2019, shows the Eiffel Tower, illuminated (up), in Paris and switched-off (down) during the a Earth Hour organized by the green group WWF. AFP
Other global landmarks that flicked the switch included Eiffel Tower in Paris, New York鈥檚 Empire State Building, Dubai鈥檚 Burj Khalifa, the Acropolis in Athens and the Kremlin building in Moscow.
The event comes after some of the most dire warnings yet on the state of Earth鈥檚 natural habitat and species.
WWF鈥檚 own 鈥淟iving Planet鈥� report in October said 60 percent of all animals with a backbone 鈥� fish, birds, amphibians, reptiles and mammals 鈥� had been wiped out by human activity since 1970.
A combination of pictures made on March 30, 2019, shows the Kremlin lit up (top) and with its light turned off, as part of the 鈥淓arth Hour鈥� environmental campaign in central Moscow. AFP
Another study said a recent decline in bugs that fly, crawl, burrow and skitter across still water 鈥� fueled by deforestation, urbanization and the rise of commercial farming 鈥� was part of an unfolding mass extinction event, only the sixth in the last half-billion years.
Last year, Earth Hour was observed in more than 7,000 towns and cities in 187 countries, according to the organizers.
While the lights-off event is a symbolic gesture, Earth Hour has led successful campaigns over the past decade to ban plastics in the Galapagos Islands and plant 17 million trees in Kazakhstan. /cbb
This combination of pictures created on March 30, 2019 shows N,otre-Dame de Paris Cathedral, illuminated (up), in Paris and switched-off (down) during the a Earth Hour organised by the green group WWF. AFP