Earth Hour: Swiss monuments urged to switch off lights
Cities and individuals around the world are being called upon to turn off their lights on Saturday to draw attention to the climate emergency.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/ts
Many towns and cities in Switzerland will be taking part in the annual Earth Hour event, the world’s largest climate and environmental protection campaign. This is set to take place between 8:30pm and 9:30pm Swiss time.
In Switzerland, which took part for the first time in 2010, the Jet d’Eau in Geneva, the cathedrals in Lausanne and Fribourg, the castles in Bellinzona and the Chapel Bridge in Lucerne, among others, have previously been plunged into darkness.
More
More
Why Switzerland will be plunged into darkness
This content was published on
People, cities and companies across Switzerland are turning the electricity off at 8.30pm to mark WWF’s Earth Hour, a huge global action to raise climate awareness. They will join the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Pyramids in Giza and the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco in the energy-saving event, which is scheduled to take…
The next few years will be crucial in the fight against the climate crisis, said WWF Switzerland in a statementExternal link. “If we don’t succeed in halting global warming, humankind and nature will face catastrophic consequences.”
One in six species could become extinct, forest fires would become more frequent, and droughts and floods more dramatic, it said. “The climate crisis is already hitting hardest those who contribute least to global warming. This makes it all the more important to send a signal together.”
Leading by example
“By consciously switching off the lights, cities, companies and private individuals set an example for better nature and climate protection,” explains the WWF.
Launched in 2007, Earth Hour was a joint action of the city of Sydney and WWF Australia. Since then the movement has spread across the world. Major monuments, from the Empire State Building in New York to the Eiffel Tower in Paris, from the Acropolis in Athens to the Pyramids of Giza, have seen their lights go out for an hour.
More
More
Climate activists protest across Switzerland
This content was published on
Police cleared climate activists demonstrating in Bern and Zurich on Friday.
Switzerland abstains from vote on Palestinian bid for full UN membership
This content was published on
On Friday, Switzerland abstained from the vote at the General Assembly on granting the Palestinians new rights at the United Nations (UN).
Protein in abdominal fat could help shape obesity treatment
This content was published on
The study analysed fat cells from different locations in the body, and found that those in the abdomen have unique properties.
North African asylum claims fall after rapid Swiss processing
This content was published on
The accelerated procedure, now out of its test phase, has resulted in a significant drop in applications from North African countries.
This content was published on
The artist's song "The Code" focuses on their journey as a nonbinary individual. It is one of the favourites to win this year's contest.
Swiss climate activists block vehicles near Gotthard tunnel
This content was published on
Around ten climate activists briefly blocked the A2 motorway near the northern entrance of the Gotthard tunnel on Thursday.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Crazy winter weather defies logic in Switzerland
This content was published on
In general, temperatures were two degrees Celsius higher than the average measured between 1961 and 1990, the Swiss meteorological office reported at the official end of winter on Sunday. In some parts of Switzerland, temperatures fluctuated by more than 30 degrees in the space of a week as cold snaps were followed by warm spells.…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.