Earth Hour is an hour that can change decades. Every year, at 8:30 pm local time, on the last Saturday of March, millions of people across the world join in raising awareness of the issues facing our planet by switching off the lights for one hour. This year, you can participate on March 27.

Created by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Earth Hour is a worldwide movement, an initiative to encourage individuals, businesses, and governments take accountability for their ecological footprint and engage in dialogue and resource exchange that provides real solutions to our environmental changes.

Does Earth Hour really save energy? In 2014, over the six years that Earth Hour has been held, researchers have found 274 instances of observed changes in electricity demand caused the event. These cases were found to reduce electricity consumption with an average of 4%. (2014 data. )

Despite the fact that the evenings are coming later, thanks to Daylight Saving Time, it will be an hour of darkness. Some alternative choices can include using candle light or spending the time admiring the stars and the beauty of the sky. If you can endure one hour on one day without electric lights, consider making a resolution to go without one day a week or one day a month for the rest of the year. Use the time for meditation to take time and heal your own energy and release built up stress.

On Saturday, March 27, join millions of people worldwide and switch off your lights in support of nature and our planet!