About a year ago, Sydney started a trend of turning off your lights for one hour in a show of support for protecting our environment. Soon after, London, San Francisco quickly followed suit. One year later, the organizers of Sydney’s Earth Hour feel that one city at a time doesn’t really cut it anymore. Which is why this year’s event is going global, with cities from every continent, including the US, participating in what promises to be the largest ever show of solidarity in the world on March 29th for Earth Hour.
The even is organized by the World Wildlife Fund International. Last year’s event in Sydney drew the participation of 2.2 million people, and it is obvious that the organizers are expecting a much larger number to participate. The idea is as simple as it sounds. On March 29, 2008 at 8:00p.m. local time, every participant city will encourage businesses, community leaders and individuals to turn out their lights for one hour. So who is participating in the event? Aalborg, Aarhus, Copenhagen and Odense in Denmark; Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney in Australia; Suva in Fiji, Manila in the Phillipines, Tel Aviv in Israel, and in the North American side, Toronto and Chicago.
“Earth Hour will send a strong signal that people all around the world are deeply concerned and expect their leaders to take action before it’s too late,” said WWF Director General James Leape. “Climate change is a global challenge that requires global solutions and it’s clear that the people of this planet are ready to get involved and find the answers.”
+ Earth Hour
I hope this translates into power plants not-generating an hour’s worth of electricity.
In our household, the children learn that electricity is valuable and not to waste. Every week, we have a no-electricity evening. It’s rather fun, and a great family activity. We are trying to spread it to our neighbors as well. Now, the whole world can join in!
but what can we do for an hour with the lights off..
The earth is on fire. That is what I thought when I saw this image some years ago. And this map makes pretty clear, just who is burning it up. Maps and stories with complete and new perspectives very powerful in generating awareness in a field of inspiration. Like the book Cradle to Cradle, it states very clearly, “This is where we are.” Then it begs the question, “As a global society, where are we going to go next?” I would love to see an exhibition of world maps, set over time, so we could “scrub” the planetary time line, and watch the lights go on… or off, or watch political boundaries shift. Does anyone know of resources like this, online or otherwise?
correction for the above comment: Maps and stories with complete and new perspectives [are] very powerful…
This is a very good idea and I plan to participate. I’ve already invited all my friends on facebook to join the earth hour group on facebook. The rest of Grand Rapids, MI should think about participating as well.
I think this is a GREAT idea! but I live in Panama and I really wish our country could contribute.. is there a way to make it really worldwide? anyway, I will support the cause and tell my friends!
Hi
We are an early childhood centre in New Zealand and we think htis is such a great idea.
We will be turning off our light the day before Friday 28th March from 11am till 12 as we are not here on the saturday.
Haha! I’ll cut my neighbourhoods power :p
You won’t save much energy on this at all, heatcontrolled(?) ovens will make up for lost heat from lamp. Light is almost pure heat energy.
The only place this would be efficent would hae to be outdoor or places where it should be cold.
I think Earth Hour is a good idea. It will raise awareness about Global Warming around the whole world, and show the difference that we Can make. It will also join the world together in fighting climate change, and i think that as the modern world moves on, countries are becoming more and more individual. At my school we’ve already begun to spread the news and get others to do it, and I’m currently trying to convince my town’s council and MP to implement the idea!
We should try and tell the whole world about it, get million involved, and really make a difference.
That’s a great idea…that means I can use ten times the electricity I could during that hour and not feel like I’m wasting it since so many of you won’t be using any!
I and everyone that I can contact will be turning ON!! every single, incandescent light bulb in our homes and businesses. This will be done in protest of the useless, “feel good about myself, yet still be completely ignorant” actions of the “Chicken Little” crowd promoting this crap.
If you were honest and serious about reducing CO2, you would stop fighting nuclear power and embrace it.
ZERO GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS!!!! That is if CO2 and methane were actually a problem.
Throughout time, indications are that greenhouse gases increase after the warming, not before.
Now, I have too much apathy to waste any more time with you.
THE DEBATE HAS NOT EVEN STARTED!!!
[...] tells me: About a year ago, Sydney started a trend of turning off your lights for one hour in a show of [...]
A little bit from everyone turns into a lot for all of us!
lights out is not a solution, it will not prevent the future calamaties that are swiftly descending upon all humanity. Mankind has always shown the inability to respond adequately to global challenges. By the time humankind sincerely endeavors to respond it will be overwhelmed by the scope and severity of the crisis.
Hopefully during this hour we will be able to see more than we have with the lights on. My family will bring light into our relationship during this time. I was surprised how easily my teen aged son agreed to this, no computer games, we are going to go for a walk during this time. Hopefully families will spend this hour together, and let their own lights shine.
Some of the opinons on here are mind blowing. Free speech is one thing, but a total disregard to something positive is another. Lets pray their is sufficent power when one of our loved ones is in need of a life saving procedure and the lights go out. it is better to put them out for an hour, when we can spare it, than to have them go out on us when it could be fatal. My electricty will be off in my home, but the light of positive action will shine brightly.
Yes!Turn it off,you will make it difference!This year Malaysia is joining to be part of this global action.Hopefully all of us,especially the Malaysian will actively participate in this event. Understandably, one hour is indeed a long time to chase mosquitoes in the dark or dwindle your thumbs,but this act of switching non-essential lights is a simple and effortless step that can make a huge difference in the fight against climate change.TURN IT OFF…!!!SAVE OUR EARTH…!!!