Earth Hour: Everything you need to know about why lights go off for 1 hour

At 8.30 tonight lights will go off in over 7,000 cities across the globe for one hour. The skyline will turn dark as the world will observe the Earth Hour.

Thousands of landmarks across the landmasses will plunge in darkness for one hour. The agenda of Earth Hour is to unite people to protect the planet by reducing pollution and adopting clean energy for future.

Last year the Eiffel Tower, the Empire State Building, Tokyo Tower and even the international space station marked the Earth Hour by switching off lights.

It is the 10th anniversary of the Earth Hour tonight. The Earth Hour travels this year from Samoa (independent country) to The Cook Islands (another independent country) across the international date line in the Pacific Ocean.

WHAT IS EARTH HOUR?

The Earth Hour is a movement to protect and conserve our environment. Organised by World Wildlife Foundation, the Earth Hour has gained immense support since its inception in 2007 from Sydney in Australia.

The Earth Hour has now reached to about 180 countries with millions of people switching of lights and shutting down electrical equipment to create awareness about environmental degradation and need to protect it.

The penetration of Earth Hour has increased with rising awareness about global warming among the masses across the world.

The earth's average temperature is rising at a faster rate than ever leading to extinction of species at an alarming rate. Scientists believe that one of six living species now faces the risk of extinction.

The WWF's Earth Hour aims at reversing the cycle of extinction of species.

WHY DO WE NEED EARTH HOUR?

Global warming and climate change have dominated the scientific discourse in the past more than one decade. With ever rising population of the world, the climate change has put the humankind at a great risk along with other species.

Global warming, rising levels of pollution due to ever increasing industrialisation, declining forest cover and rising sea levels are some of the dangers that drastically affect the workings of life on the earth.

Though the largest polluters are big industries, the WWF tries to make the masses more and more aware about the impending dangers of adverse climate so that they could put pressure on the respective governments to frame environment-friendly policies and laws.

With Earth Hour, the WWF aims to engage people across the globe to adopt more sustainable lifestyle. Turning off lights for an hour is just an annual reminder that if the world does not mend its ways, it will be heading to a dark age, literally.

The WWF website says that the last year was the hottest year on record for the third year in a row signaling that the earth is constantly and consistently warming. It acknowledges the good works done by the world leaders in the form of the Paris Agreement - where India played a huge role. But, it is the time to deliver the action needed to protect the planet, it says.