**** Info via Environment Canada
Earth Hour
Earth Hour is a global lights-out phenomenon, taking place on Saturday, March 25, which invites everyone to show support for action on climate change.
What is Earth Hour?
Since 2007, Earth Hour has been known as the “lights off” moment, with individuals from around the world switching off their lights to show symbolic support for the planet and to raise awareness of the environmental issues affecting it.
Current climate state
Last year, in Canada, the annual average temperature was 1.2°C above the baseline average, which had ranked the 16th warmest observed since nationwide recording began in 1948. The trend indicates that the annual temperature averaged across the nation has warmed by 1.9°C over the past 75 years.
The time series graph shows that annual temperatures averaged across the country have fluctuated from year to year over the 1948–2022 period. Since 2005, average annual temperatures have remained above the baseline average. The red line shows that the average temperature keeps increasing year after year.
The annual average temperature in Canada has increased at roughly twice the global mean rate. These changes are even more pronounced in northern Canada where the annual average temperature has increased by roughly 3 times the global average warming rate.
We are now at a critical point for our climate. We are on course to breach the 1.5°C global temperature increase limit set by the Paris Climate Agreement by the early 2030s. The newly released Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Synthesis Report concluded that how much we reduce greenhouse gas emissions this decade will determine whether we can limit warming to 1.5°C (or 2°C) and limit irreversible damage to our planet.
How can you participate?
You can show support for this global movement by turning off all unneeded lights and devices for one hour tonight at 8:30 p.m. (local time). Together, we can shape our future, by taking action to fight climate change and reverse nature loss.
