Earth Hour Tonight: 8:30--9:30 pm Your Time Zone

As mentioned in my last post, the 20th Anniversary of Earth Hour is upon us: tonight. Be inspired. Be present. Do something in that hour to give it planetary power through commitment, knowledge, thought, education, inspiration, stewardship. Be a part of something bigger than you.

What will you do tonight from 8:30-9:30 in your time zone?

Banner from https://www.earthhour.org/resources/brand-resource-center and video from https://youtu.be/AHhq1PtjANQ?si=D9357S36mKeoRNcZ

20th Anniversary Earth Hour ~ March 28, 2026: Choose Your Studio, Make Your Pledge

Earth Hour is March 2026, 8:30--9:30 pm in your time zone. This year commemorates the 20th Anniversary. What began as the inaugural event in 2007 in Sydney, Australia is now marking two decades as a global, environmental movement.

Earth Hour has always been about one powerful, symbolic act: "switching off the lights for 60 minutes to shine a spotlight on our planet." Over the past 20 years (and the last decade in particular), the call has grown bigger to“Give an Hour for Earth.” This call is to highlight that what we do in that one hour can ripple far beyond the glow of an hour of candlelight. 

This year, instead of treating Earth Hour as a one-size-fits-all event, imagine a Choose-Your-Studio Night. Plan and create a 60-minute creative adventure that begins by design and ends with a plan of attack, a creative commitment, and a pledge to go forward making a difference. 

Some studios to consider... pick one, mix or match, and simply find what fits to make the most of your Earth Hour.

The point is not to “do it all” in one night. The point is to start with an entry point that feels and sounds like you. To provide you with some time for reflectionn or creativity. To help you set a realistic pledge and intention. To inspire you to keep going!  

What studio will you choose? What's your pledge going to be? And what will you be doing during Earth Hour 2026?

Earth Hour image from https://x.com/earthhour; Slideshow created by me https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1-2PcXE3vsn9dBjjQAGoN4A3hcHtI5qdFRLmnf3ccO-Y/edit?usp=sharing

World Water Day: March 22, 2026

World Water Day is an annual United Nations observance that celebrates water, bringing to attention the global water crisis. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) #6 is to achieve safe water and sanitation for everyone by 2030. This year's theme is "Water & Gender: Where Water Flows, Equality Grows." It highlights how gender equality is tied to safe water and water acquisition... and what happens when they’re not. This also ties to SDG Goal #5 through gender equality. Through both of these, the message is clear: safe water and sanitation are rights, not privileges, for all people and all genders.

Unfortunately, women and girls are disproportionately affected by water problems because of many reasons: unsafe or distant water sources, poor sanitation, and the fact that women are often left out of the decisions about how water is managed. Additionally, women and girls in many countries are the ones fetching the water, walking for hours to access the water. This in turn prevents them from being able to attend school or working in a paid position. It also places them in multiple unsafe situations along the journey, leaving them exhausted and more prone to sickness. It also creates additional issues of sanitation during times when girls and women are menstruating.

Despite the fact that access to safe drinking water is a human right, billions of people worldwide still lack access and safe management of water and sanitation services. Globally unsafe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) are responsible for deaths of approximately 1,000 children aged 0-5 daily. 

When communities secure reliable, safe water, and sanitation close to home, you start to see:

• Girls who are able to spend more time in school and less time questing and walking for water.
• Women who are able to take part in paid work, community leadership, and decision-making.
• Health improvements overall--from individuals to families, which then spreads economically in their ability to work and then spreads to their communities. 

By ignoring women’s experiences and their knowledge when it comes to these factors, water systems fail the people who use them most. Women need to be at the table when it comes to these decisions. In doing so, it builds a more hopeful future, one drop of water and one decision at a time.

 To learn more about World Water Day, check out the following resources:

• United Nations World Water Day: Where Water Flows Equality Grows Overview
• UN World Water Day Background Page
• UN World Water Day Fact Page
• UN World Water Day Activation Kit with activities for schools (listed by age ranges), communities, and other ways to actively engage and spread information about the importance of women, water, and safety.
• UN "Where Water Flows, Equality Grows" Posters
• UN Trello page of World Water Day resources 

To find all of these resources in another language, go to the section about 2026 Theme: Women & Gender.

Images from https://www.un.org/en/observances/water-day-new/background-new and https://www.unwater.org/sites/default/files/2026-01/WWD2026_Posters_English.pdf and https://www.instagram.com/reels/CyL1C9IpH91/; Video from https://youtu.be/nFpcoji4gh0?si=e3eyf6aPMCaiZ2OF

A Lesser-Plastic Lifestyle

I landed on these infographics on Plastic Pollution Coalition's February 28, 2026 Facebook Post. These make for great reminders and helpful hints if you are trying to cut down on your own plastic consumption.

For more ways to work on reducing your plastic use, check out these websites:

• The EPA's page "What You Can Do to Reduce Plastic Waste
• Eco-cycle's "Reduce Your Plastic Use page.
• The University of Maryland's Center of Environmental Science "PlasticWatch: What Can I Do" page (which has a wealth of ideas, resources, links and apps to help your quest for a lesser-plastic-lifestyle.

Images from https://www.facebook.com/PlasticPollution/posts/pfbid02rALGPo6wGa91AN2QwUnD5U76GeRxQp3D72hZLyj5oXRHgThsT2WmVnUHCaoTtYzbl