Earth Hour was initiated by WWF in 2007 as part of a global campaign to raise environmental awareness. It is observed on the last Saturday of March each year. Hundreds of millions of people in 160 countries and over 7,000 cities are expected to observe the symbolic hour of darkness by switching of their lights for the hour this year. The idea is not only to save energy, but also to raise awareness about climate change.
Celebrations around South Africa include a Renewable Energy Festival in Green Point, Cape Town on 28 March. Visitors to the festival will be able to see first-hand renewable energy technologies in action and enjoy a free open-air concert headlined by Johnny Clegg.
On Friday, 27 March the city of Tshwane is hosting a celebrity Earth Hour Capital Challenge to test the best way to get around the city on public transport while making the least impact on climate change. The team that wins this fun event will be chosen on the basis of which team had the lowest carbon footprint. The event, co-hosted by WWF-SA, ICLEI Africa and Tshwane University of Technology, will demonstrate to residents that one of the best things we can all do about climate change is to use public transport, walk or cycle, or go electric.
Tshwane is one of several local authorities in South Africa to have signed up for the Earth Hour City Challenge, organised by WWF in partnership with ICLEI Africa, which saw Cape Town emerge as global winner in 2014. The Earth Hour City Challenge rewards cities that show leadership in their efforts to build a sustainable and safe energy future. This year, Johannesburg, Nelson Mandela Bay and Tshwane have been short-listed, along with 41 other cities from around the world.
In terms of climate change, South Africa is already experiencing higher rainfall patterns in some parts of the country and drought in others, all of which has a direct impact on agriculture and food production.
Experts also warn that climate change will put the already water-stressed South Africa under increased pressure, impact on biodiversity and have implications for the way in which the energy crisis is dealt with - something that requires careful planning for sustainability. One indicator of how seriously climate change is affecting South Africa is that average temperatures in South Africa are rising at twice the global average.
Global leaders who meet in Paris at the end of the year for COP21 are under pressure to limit dependence on fossil fuels which contribute towards global warming. The Paris climate meeting pre-empts the end of the Kyoto Protocol, which is due to expire in 2020, and will introduce the beginnings of a new international protocol that will embrace all nations for the first time.
