Power Down on Earth Hour

Celebrate Earth Hour™ every hour for polar bears by taking our Power Down challenge.

Here's how:

• Switch off the lights for one hour on Earth Hour—or any hour you choose—to show your support for action on climate change.
• Make it a Polar Bear Hour by eating a cold, energy-saving meal by candlelight.
• Then, Power Down and make every hour a Polar Bear Hour by installing power strips on all your electronic devices at home and the office. Or take another energy-saving action—like replacing an old appliance with an Energy Star appliance—to save energy throughout the year.
• Have kids? Play our Phantom Power Hunt game.
• Sustain your effort with ongoing encouragement and celebrations, perhaps holding a weekly Polar Bear Hour dinner to reaffirm your commitment.
• Invite others to join you! Give the gift of a power strip (with a note explaining why). Or gather with family and friends for a candlelight dinner centered around a discussion of local climate change policy—and how you can get involved. For information, start by searching your state government website and then look for a local climate change action group.
• Finally, share photos or videos of your actions in PBI’s My Planet, My Part gallery. For example, you could highlight your candlelight dinner or share an image of a power strip in action in your home or office.

Why Power Down—and Why Power Strips?

• Many of our electronic devices at home continue to draw power even when not is use. This is called vampire or phantom power. By unplugging these devices or using power strips you can reduce your energy consumption.
• Understand the numbers through this fun but informative video by Nigel Holmes and Rowland Holmes.
• Learn more about specific energy saving tips by appliance.

Did You Know?
When we burn carbon-based fuels, we produce carbon dioxide (CO₂), a greenhouse gas. The amount of CO₂ you produce is sometimes called your carbon footprint. Most human-produced CO₂ comes from burning fossil fuels for electricity and transportation.

Some people conduct an exercise to measure their carbon footprint, but we find it easier to measure the amount of gas and electricity we use in our homes, the amount of fuel we burn in our cars, and the number and distance traveled for the flights we take.

Want to Learn More?
Connect here for more information.

The Power Down challenge is the second event in our SOS campaign, a series of Earth Awareness Celebrations that focus on creating energy-saving habits—simple habits that can help build momentum for a sustainable society.