A virtual spotlight to mark Earth Hour, this March 27

New Delhi, March 23 March 23 Over the last 15 years, the lights-off moment has seen entire streets, buildings, landmarks, and city skylines go dark an unmissable sight that drew public attention to nature loss and the climate crisis.

Earth Hour India too, resonated with landmark monuments like India Gate, Parliament House, streets, and buildings go dark for an hour.

However, due to the ongoing pandemic, Earth Hour this year, on March 27 between 8.30 and 9.30 p.m., will shine a Virtual Spotlight for the world to see our planet, the issues we face, and our place within it in a new light.

Part of the Virtual Spotlight is the event, 'Speak Up for Nature with Shantanu Moitra' on WWF India Facebook page. Conversations around nature and conservation by guests like Dia Mirza, Papon, Dhritiman Mukherjee, Saiyami Kher, Ambi Subramaniam, Bindu Subramaniam, Jayanthi Kumaresh, Kaushiki Chakraborty, Swanand Kirkire, Shreya Ghoshal will bring everyone on a common platform to rise and 'speak up for nature'.

The event hosted by Hope and Harmony Ambassador of WWF India and celebrated music composer, Shantanu Moitra, will play a key role to promote the need for protecting our planet.

According to Shantanu Moitra, "We have to co-exist if we want to live long and healthy. We need to take cues from nature and take small steps which can go a long way in conservation, most importantly, the act of caring for our planet. The contributions of our guests who have agreed to come together to initiate conversations around Earth Hour will be pivotal to spread awareness about the message by speaking up for Nature."

"The smallest actions have the power to restore the balance between humans and the planet. I ask every child and youth to steer a change in their house, adopt pro-conservation attitudes, and foster green habits among families," urges Viswanathan Anand, Indian chess grandmaster and Environment Education Ambassador, WWF India.

India, the seventh largest country globally, is home to a treasure trove of incredible wildlife and is a biodiversity hotspot. As the country embarks on the path of rapid development, India's wildlife, charismatic landscapes, and biodiversity face the constant threat of degradation and fragmentation, said WWF India.

Earth Hour marks a pivotal opportunity for civil society organisations, citizens, nation heads, CEOs and environmentalists to call on world leaders for setting nature on a path to recovery by 2030 for the benefit of all people and the planet. This year Earth Hour will reach out to the audience with its message in seven languages and urge them to do their bit, as every action, big or small, adds up and makes a difference for our collective home.

In addition, a 5-day challenge

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( With inputs from IANS )