Submitted by Mrs. Z on Mon, 02/23/2009 - 10:01pm
2007
- A new movement begins in Sydney, Australia.
- 2.2 million homes and businesses turn their lights off for one hour, making the point that we are not powerless to make a change.
2008
- 50 million people across 35 countries turn off the lights.
- The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Rome’s Colosseum and the Coca Cola billboard in Times Square stand in darkness,symbols of hope for a cause that grows more urgent by the hour.
2009
- emPower Music & Arts joins the call to stand up, take responsibility and get involved in working towards a sustainable future.
- Iconic buildings and landmarks from Europe to The Americas will go dark. People across the world will turn off their lights and join together in creating the vital conversation about the future of our precious planet.
At 8:30 pm local time, on Saturday March 28th, Earth Hour will be celebrated by millions of people in each time zone as they turn off the lights for one hour.
You can help even before you turn off your lights!
- Spread the word at your church, your work, with friends and family and community members.
- Encourage as many people as you can to take part and turn off their lights, too.
- Think big. Who are the biggest energy users in your community? First stop - the city. Write to your mayor or city officials, urging them to turn off non-essential lighting.
- Encourage your favorite local businesses and organizations to turn off the lights. Restaurants can serve dinner by candle light, your church can organize a block party, youth organizations can hold a story telling hour - be creative.
- Don't forget to make plans for your own family. You can use the hour in the dark to talk and reconnect.
The EarthHour website has more ideas, an informational video and a place for you to sign up.
We'll add more information here as the clock ticks down. Of course, we also want to hear about YOUR Earth Hour - so leave a comment and let us know what you are doing to emPower your neighbors!
As much as I'm right behind any effort geared to raise public awareness about global warming, I have to admit that I'm just a little bit unsure of Earth Hour being the best route to accomplish this. For most every electrical appliance, initial startup power draw is much higher than normal running power draw. This means that the spike which is going to occur when everyone powers back up at almost the same moment is not only likely to eat up any power savings accomplished in the preceding hour, it's going to place an immense load on the power grid. Does anyone know if this issue has been addressed by Earth Hour organizers? Not trying to be the voice of doom, here, I'm pretty sure the issue must have been considered by organizers of the event. But, just to be on the safe side, I believe I'll wait an extra few minutes before reaching for the light switch at the tail end of Earth Hour.
The real push here isn't saving energy for that one hour. It is raising awareness, that we are not powerless, that we can enact a change. Before we use any resource, we should take a minute and consider the implications.
The Opera House in Sydney was one of the first participants in Earth Hour. This year, one of the most well known and beloved landmarks in the world, the Statue of the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, will also go dark for one hour.
Other landmarks particpating will be the Merlion in Singapore, Hong Kong’s Symphony of Lights and the Shanghai Hong Kong New World Tower, Paris’ Eiffel Tower, Table Mountain in Cape Town, and CN Tower in Toronto.
Even Las Vegas is participating with the MGM Grand Casino pledging to shut off the lights!
As major attractions and landmarks around the globe gear up to go dark, people everywhere are making plans for the event.
It's all over the news as celebrities, musicians, artists and entertainers are getting together for lights out events world wide. Melbourne is hosting a "people pedal powered" concert, Dehli will have accoustic concerts city wide, Cold Play's concert in Abu Dhabi will be "carbon neutral" with all of the power being supplied by a local windfarm.
Toronto, with the goal to be the "greenest in America" is holding a huge free concert, the highlight being the move to switch off the city lights in one dramatic move.
Los Angeles, not to be outdone (and perhaps making up for it's LACKluster response last year) has a huge concert even planned, with many city restaurants serving special Earth Hour menus by candle light.
Google "Earth Hour 2009" to see the tremendous response!
McDonald's in Canada is turning off the lights too!
And Coca-Cola is shutting off the signs in both New York's Times Square AND London's Piccadilly Circus.
Sydney, of course, will be turning off the lights. What other major cites have pledged participation?
Cape Town, Hong Kong, Istanbul, London, Manilla, Melborn, Mexico City, Milan, Moscow, Rome, Toronto, Venice
And in the US: Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, Nashville
Oklahoma City isn't on the list, but there is still time. I'm holding out hope that we can sway The Powers That Be into participation.
Earth Hour 2009's goal of 1000 participant cities has been passed!
Washington DC is on the list! What about your city?
Spread the word through your network. Email, Facebook, Twitter - pick up the phone and call. We are emPowered to make a change!