This Earth Hour, we’re making some small changes that’ll have a big impact on the environment.
Each year, millions of people across the globe show their support for protecting our planet as part of Earth Hour. It’s one of the world’s biggest environmental movements and sees individuals, communities, businesses and governments switch off their lights and take positive actions for nature.
This year’s Earth Hour event takes place from 8:30-9:30pm on Saturday March 27. To take part in Earth Hour, switch your lights off at 8.30pm for one hour to help make a change.
To help kickstart new sustainable habits this Earth Hour, WWF has created a series of practical lifestyle tips which can be easily adopted in day-to-day life. The more, small-scale actions we can take every day, the bigger impact we will have on nature and the planet.
Planet friendly food
You may not realise, but the meat industry here in the UK has a huge impact on forest destruction around the world – including important landscapes such as the Amazon. Large areas of these precious rainforests are being cut down to make space for farming soy and livestock – and the soy grown is often used to feed animals reared here in the UK.
Switching to a plant-based diet, even for a few days every week, significantly reduces your land and water footprints. Plant-based foods such as vegetables, grains, fruits, nuts, peas and beans are helping future-proof the planet.
Did you know? More than a quarter of the earth’s ice-free land surface is used for grazing livestock.
Read more: Our favourite homemade veggie burger recipes
Waste not, want not
“Stop waste. Stop wasting energy, stop wasting food, stop wasting plastic and stop wasting time. This is a precious world and each of us can use our actions and our voice to save our planet.” - Sir David Attenborough.
Every product we buy has its own environmental footprint and it’s important that we try to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill or leaking into nature. Plastic pollution, for example, is damaging the health of our oceans and wildlife. Reusing and recycling what we can reduces the amount of waste leaking into nature and helps to limit the number of new materials being made. Upcycling is another creative way to give new life to old items.
One third of food produced for people is lost or wasted – but reducing waste at home is easy. Freeze the foods you can’t eat while they’re still fresh; try and find loose produce like fruits and vegetables at the supermarket, so you can buy the exact amount that you need; and head online to find new and creative recipes for leftover food at home.
Did you know? Food has been responsible for 60 per cent of global biodiversity loss.
Read more: What goes in the recycling bin?
Go green at home
Electricity generated by burning fossil fuels like oil, coal and gas cause global warming and pollution, making our climate unsafe and our air dirty. If it’s possible, investigate whether you can switch to a 100 per cent renewable tariff, such as wind or solar power.
The UK government will often help homeowners to switch over to a renewable energy supplier with a Green Homes Grant – to help pay for some initial costs. Although the government has confirmed the scheme will remain in place for 2021/22 - it’s worth checking out as soon as possible.
Another tip for the home is to turn down your washing machine from 40 to 30 degrees, which can reduce the energy consumption by 57 per cent per cycle. Most washing liquid is made to clean just as effectively at 30 degrees too.
Read more: Simple ways to save energy and money in your home this Christmas
Don’t ditch palm oil
You may know about palm oil. It’s used in up to 50% of packaged supermarket products – from biscuits to soap, bread to detergent. But forests and habitats around the world are being devastated when palm oil is not produced sustainably.
Instead of going ‘palm oil-free' - as has become popular – buy products which contain certified sustainable palm oil. That way, you’re not only protecting our forests and the wildlife which live there, but you’re also supporting farmers who work hard to produce palm oil the right way.
Watch the pennies
Where you decide to bank and keep and invest your money has a huge impact but is one of the simplest things we can consider when looking at our environmental impact.
Your bank or pension provider might be investing funds in oil, coal and gas companies or others which harm the planet – so check with them. If they do invest your money this way, switch to more sustainable providers. Consumer power is a great strength which financial services cannot ignore.
What else can you do?
WWF is encouraging people to address their environmental footprint at home – one small action at a time - by taking on an a challenge for Earth Hour via the new My Footprint app.
Whether looking at the food you eat or the energy supplier you use, the app provides a host of simple but effective actions, making it easy to keep tabs on your environmental impact and make easy lifestyle changes to help the planet. With 2021 a critical year for action on climate and nature – there's never been a better time to take part.