The tower lights of the Camden County Courthouse/City Hall Building in Camden will go dark on the evening of March 19, as the County unites with more than 7,000 cities and towns in 170 countries by switching off power for one hour, beginning at 8:30 p.m.
“Camden County and the Board of Freeholders will show our support of environmental awareness by shutting off the lights for one hour on Saturday,” said Freeholder Jeff Nash, liaison to the Camden County Division of Environmental Affairs. “This symbolic act will remind us all to save money, cut waste and reduce our carbon footprint. I encourage everyone to join us by conserving energy at home.”
Earth Hour started in 2007 as a lights-off event to raise awareness about climate change. In 2015, Earth Hour grew to become the largest grassroots movement for the environment on the planet and engages hundreds of millions of supporters around the world.
“As the clock strikes 8:30 p.m. on March 19, I hope Camden County’s more than 508,000 residents join me and millions of other people worldwide in turning off lights and appliances,” Nash said. “One hour may not seem like much, but as counties, municipalities and landmarks across the globe go dark, we’ll be a part of a collective action that is as powerful as it is pragmatic.”
Over 1,200 landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco will turn off their lights. Close to 40 UNESCO World Heritage Sites including the Acropolis in Athens and Edinburgh Castle in Scotland are also scheduled to go dark in support of Earth Hour.
Although Earth Hour occurs in March, there are things we can do every day to make a positive impact on the environment.
1. Take public transportation, carpool or use a bicycle to get around.
2. Turn off electrical appliances when not in use.
3. Switch to LED bulbs or renewable energy.
4. Reduce paper wastage.
5. Reduce the use of disposable plastic products.
6. Buy only what you need to reduce food waste.
7. Only use your dishwasher and clothes washer when they’re full
8. Buy Energy Star appliances and EPA WaterSense equipment for your home to save money and reduce energy consumption
9. Plant a tree.
10. Harness #YourPower and Take Action at https://www.earthhour.org/take-action
