#Connect2Earth for #EarthHour 2019

"Happy Earth Hour, when people all over the planet shut their lights off for an hour after dark."  That's me being a good environmentalist and recycling a greeting for the first special event I celebrated on this blog back on March 26, 2011, one I've observed every year, although sometimes a bit late.  That's not happening this year, as I celebrating it on time.

Speaking of recycling, there is footage of last year's event showing landmarks all over the planet going dark in Official Earth Hour 2019 Video: #Connect2Earth.

Healthy nature makes our life better by providing us with good food, clean air, and fresh water - but it is all under the threat of climate change and loss of biodiversity. This #EarthHour, join us on 30 March 2019 at 8:30pm local time, to switch off and speak up why nature matters. #Connect2Earth

Just like last year, I'm featuring UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' message for Earth Hour 2019.

Nature makes our lives better by giving us benefits like good food, clean air, and freshwater - but we are pushing the planet to the limit and nature is severely under threat. It's time to show world leaders that people demand an international commitment to stop and reverse the loss of nature – we need a New Deal for Nature and People as comprehensive and ambitious as the Paris climate deal.

"Earth Hour is an opportunity to show support for ambitious climate action, by turning off your lights this Saturday, March 30th, at 8:30 p.m. local time. Together, let’s build a cleaner, safer and greener future for everyone." - UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

All of this is well and good, but as I wrote eight years ago, "this is a fun publicity stunt, and I'm going along with it, but by itself, it's just a publicity stunt."  What matters are the things we are willing to do the rest of the year.  Fortunately, Earth Hour uploaded Earth Hour 2019: Sustainable Actions for Nature to give all of us some ideas about what we can do.

Kids to adults speak out about what actions they will take for nature - from using less single-use plastic, eating a more plant-based diet, to taking public transport. What will you do to protect nature?

I have listed many of these ideas and more in The Sustainability Dozen: how to live more simply.  Both do these myself and tell my students about them.  May my good example influence my readers.