Formentera joins Earth Hour planetary pact

This year, as in years past, the Formentera Council has signed on to Earth Hour, a worldwide movement to turn off the electricity this Saturday, March 24. Between 8.30pm and 9.30pm, the lights in Sant Francesc's central plaza and church will be shut off in observance of the event.

Environment secretary Daisee Aguilera encouraged islanders to join in on the planetary lights-off event, calling the action “symbolic but a needed boost to visibility for the movement to combat climate change”.

Earth Hour got its start 11 years ago in Sydney as a symbolic action to draw attention to climate change. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) proposed switching off lights across households, buildings and emblematic landmarks for one hour as a simple effort to make a change. The Council decided to take part by cutting the lights at some of the primary roads in Sant Francesc.

Last year, in 2017, thousands of cities joined in from 187 countries. Upwards of 12,000 iconic monuments and buildings went dark for an hour, uniting people, businesses, municipalities and government agencies in the effort to squash climate change. With a diverse blend of activities—from promoting sustainable modes of living and pushing renewable development, to protecting our forests, seas and natural resources and fighting to preserve biodiversity—the day has turned into a wonderful opportunity to engage in care for the planet.