At 8:30 PM on Saturday 26th March 2011, lights will switch off around the globe for Earth Hour and people will commit to actions that go beyond the hour. We need you…
Earth Hour started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia when 2.2 million individuals and more than 2,000 businesses turned their lights off for one hour to take a stand against climate change. Only a year later and Earth Hour had become a global sustainability movement with more than 50 million people across 35 countries/territories participating. Global landmarks such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge, CN Tower in Toronto, Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, and Rome’s Colosseum, all stood in darkness, as symbols of hope for a cause that grows more urgent by the hour.
In March 2009, hundreds of millions of people took part in the third Earth Hour. Over 4000 cities in 88 countries/territories officially switched off to pledge their support for the planet, making Earth Hour 2009 the world’s largest global climate change initiative.
On Saturday, March 27th, Earth Hour 2010 became the biggest Earth Hour ever. A record 128 countries and territories joined the global display of climate action. Iconic buildings and landmarks from Asia Pacific to Europe and Africa to the Americas switched off. People across the world from all walks of life turned off their lights and came together in celebration and contemplation of the one thing we all have in common – our planet.
Earth Hour 2011 will take place on Saturday 26 March at 8.30PM (local time). This Earth Hour we want you to go beyond the hour, so after the lights go back on think about what else you can do to make a difference. Together our actions add up.
“All over the world individuals, communities, businesses and governments are creating new examples for our common future – new visions for sustainable living and new technologies to realize it,” said UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. “Tomorrow, let us join together to celebrate this shared quest to protect the planet and ensure human well-being. Let us use 60 minutes of darkness to help the world see the light.”
Won’t you join us for one shining hour?
To learn more, visit the Earth Hour website!
I predict 20+ comments, most of them hostile
🙁
bring ’em on… nothing like a nasty comment to try to overshadow a good deed.
let’s give an hour of lights off a go any way, shall we? 😀
People would rather turn this into a political issue than turn all the lights off in their house for an hour. I wish I could participate but I’m not sure if my parents are up to it.
Well i have posted on my facebook, for my friend too see, and i cant wait to see the outcome! im glad some people can see a hour of family time, or just hanging with friends to be fun, and when you kno millions do it at the same time, you know its a positive vibration for all owr mother earth!!!
Here too (Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada), we are committed.
While the lights will be off for an hour, me and my girlfriend
have a plan. Yep, hehe, an hour of tender hot love! Hum…
Can’t wait for tomorrow evening…rrrrrrrrrrroooooooooooooaaaaaaaaarrrrrrr
C’est tellement niaiseux de fermer les lumières pendant une heure, patente à gosse d’environnementeurs qui ne comprennent rien…. Anyways, yep, just like you, I’ll waste the hour in bed with her :p
My poor virgin ears are bleeding!
And that goes for you to wiseman
Heh. Seriously, I hope very few UT readers will be indulging their primeval instincts – such animalistic activity is a one-way ticket to Loserville.
Damn. I think this meant to be local time everywhere. But at that time, for example, in Germany is an important football match (what some parts of the world falsely call soccer) for the qualification to the European Championship next year. It seems to me that no one will turn off either their lights nor their TV.
That’s bad actually! And btw: That’s the first time I read somewhere that this gonna happen tomorrow. Media coverage is awesome…… (yeah, this was indeed irony)
hey, doc! do they broadcast the game on radio? 😀
i don’t think it’s going to hurt anything to watch TV, but turning off applicable outdoor lighting and common house lights are an awesome way to show that you care!
Good idea. Thanks 🙂
Good to see we can still care about the climate for an hour a year 😉
In all seriousness though, we need more than just a day to idealize, we must, for the sake of our existence on Earth make real changes every day(this point emerged somewhat in the article). It’s obvious that none of the massive world powers care whatsoever what happens with climate change, so we must take events like this even further, and on our own. The major global emitters keep dodging any real legislation on climate change. So do we wait? Will it be too late? We must ask ourselves what our grandchildren will ask us. They’ll want some pretty dang good answers.
Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia present!! xD
Realy Stupid Australians.
Feel good for one day or then blatantly abuse the planet for the other 364!
Pah! Pure hypocritical nonsense 🙁
Let’s all go an hug a tree.
Crumb,… Cynicism and low esteem for others has no place on an astronomy site which daily displays the promises of unimaginable grandeur to intrigued and awed enthusiasts and viewers… (Some of them even more advanced in their knowledge than the most boastful and pedantic astronomical braggadocios, Sir).
Why not consider this simply a good window for viewing?
…but I so good at cynicism.
With Barack Obama the USA are turned off.
I’m going to turn on the light in every room to negate one of U.
I’m a pure evil. 🙂
Stop trying to turn this into a “Obama wants it lolpolitics” issue. This was going on before anyone even knew who Obama was. It’s not just an American thing, it’s a worldwide thing. What part of “128 countries” did you not understand!? What is it with you foreign people that can’t understand that!?
This has nothing to do with American politics or Obama.
Americacentricism really cheese most people off! :{
Feenixx, where getting there!
Hey, it’s just a really “black” and lightless joke. 😀 What part of it did you not understand!? 😀
I’m foreign and I’d vote for Obama if I could…
Me too. Though will the 20 to 50% rise in electricity prices in New South Wales in the last year, I’d now think many of the middle to lower income earners now have the lights out on most nights. As the State government has not invested in new infrastructure for the growing population in the last two or three decades, means the demand for supply of electricity has increased prices. Even worst was that the Labor New South Wales Government in the last moments of the election cycle sold the electricity at a rock bottom prices; all to our punish the voters. This Saturday will rightly go down as judgement day, as the State election is on this day, when the Government will be tossed out on its ear in a massive landslide.
My protest will be to “light up”!
Up yours, 60 Earth Hour!!!!!!!!
You also have an election? Great. In Germany there two “states” voting tomorrow, and the results can turn out to be extraordinary.
Btw: It’s not such a bad idea to save power. But not only for one hour, better all the time.
why you cant think positively..??
What do you mean?
Good idea! I’ll send a link with my pictures soon. In the meantime, lights will be off here tonight (because of the girlfriend), but I turned the event to my own advantage since we’ll be in bed 🙂
That’s cool, bro. Just know that I hope you have to pay a ridiculous amount on your next electric bill just because you protested this simple movement.
Are you just sarcastic as me or completely serious? 😀 I’m not sure what is going on in politics of your country…
I’m just going to ignore it…my eyes need the light.
Oh! To back up my words here. The New South Wales election was an blast. Worst election result in living memory. The elected government went from a majority of 52 to 22 seats in the 2007 to likely have 22 against 68 with the new government.
Earth Hour was seen as utter joke. It may never recover from it… So be it.
I will celebrate this big event for our planet.
Well my lights are off. I am typig blind now.
Why did you turn your computer off, too? 😉
Correction. Why didn’t you turn your computer off, too?
I just closed my jalousie. That’s my strategy. 😀
lights off in a small ohio village as well. i was pleased – and proud – to see that about 75% of my neighbors also remembered to honor the hour!
as for sally? drop the honorable from your name – you don’t deserve it.
Thanks for the slight. Clearly, you have failed to see the absolute parody in the avatar name I’ve adopted. I’ve considered it, but I’ll probably keep it. A ‘badge of honour” if you like.
As for the lights out, apparent the lights in Sydney dropped only a 12% dip in electricity supply for the hour. SMH: “Bravely enter the night for future of our planet”
Much of this event is smeared grotesquely in politics under the umbrella of the World Wildlife Fund; with its panda logo and dubious scientific credentials. (I called them all ‘tree huggers’, but at least I’m being kind.
Furthermore, if you really understood the religious and political landscape of Australia at the moment, you would find there is a growing scepticism about climate science and effect ways of combating it. “Climate change is crap!”, says even the leader of the Opposition in Parliament.
I really meant what I said with “Feel good for one day or then blatantly abuse the planet for the other 364! Pah! Pure hypocritical nonsense.” (At least, it seems very clear, your own conscience is clear for another year, at least until this time 2012.)
IMO we do not need unnecessary symbols we need immediate action fixing the problem. We don’t need cynical advertising gurus and dubious organisations using this as sickening tawdry stunt for some unsaid purpose.
Knowing how these “greenies” think, they now want to extend the outage to a few more hours. (See my linked article) How about extending it to a day or a week? Ban lights altogether? Even better. How about we turn all the power off permanently, and revert to a subsistent economy, hugging each other just to keep warm.
Cynical is one thing. Practically doing something is probably another.
(Honourable I might not be, but am I a “rat” just because I don’t join in with the mindless rabble. Is that what you are inferring, here?)
Note: I actually think cutting the world’s population is a better option. How about we have a new campaign each week or month where individuals adhere to abstain from sex?
actually, you’re just mean… and i don’t understand why an obviously intelligent man like yourself continues to kill your own credibility. the whole concept wasn’t about politics – nor was it about saving electricity – it was about proving that all humankind could join together to do one thing… turn out their applicable lights for one hour. the hour wasn’t about hugging a tree, or acts of human nature… it was to show the world that we – the people – can act together to have a voice that needs to be heard.
will it be heard in most of our lifetimes? quite sadly, probably not. turning off my lights for one hour a year didn’t clear my conscious… it opened my eyes.
If you cannot see fact that you might be being conned, that is not my problem.
Earth Hour will likely die a natural death. In Sydney they turned off the Sydney Harbour Bridge Lights, the Opera House lights, but there were complaints by many that most of the high-rise buildings ignored it.
I respect your point of view, even though I don’t agree. I think you come across as a bit naive. Sorry.
I suggest you read this link “Earth Hour sponsors admit they’re hypocrites” (and the comments) by Andrew Bolt.
I think I’m a moderate compared to some of these guys…
Here is another “One hour crowded with messages” by Sara Phillips.
You wrote; “actually, you’re just mean…”
I disagree. Actually, I’m just being realistic…
As said by; COP15, for example : 29 MAR 2010 11:19:18AM
Hi Sara,
I was pretty astonished at how little imnpact Earth hour seemed to have – I was in the Sydney CBD and couldn’t even see much of a difference! A lot of talk for little result.. very disappointing!
and this;
“The whole mentality around Earth Hour demonizes electricity. I cannot do that, instead I celebrate it and all that it has provided for humanity. Earth Hour celebrates ignorance, poverty and backwardness by repudiating the greatest engine of liberation that mankind has harnessed. Earth Hour it is nothing more than an hour devoted to anti-humanism.”
(Quoting Ross McKitrick, a Canadian economist specializing in environmental economics)”
He might be right…
Right or wrong. Pretty much backs up what I’ve said!
Damn me if you must!
@HSBC: I’ll Damn you. Why must you nitpick such an innocuous idea? How are you affected if people want to participate in an event that makes them feel good and takes very little effort? I’ll agree that the effort is symbolic at best, but why do you feel the need to criticise? Save your rantings for the EU “Nutters”. I do believe you need to start your own blog, perhaps “Musings of a frustrated Non American”. 😉
Give it a rest Mr. Crumb. It’s not about saving an “hour” of electricity. It’s a reminder that we have to “turn off” the waste that is devouring our planet. It reminded me “again” to turn out lights that are not in use. So the blog was worthwhile.
Thanks Tammy.
Let’s see. You point out the growing distrust with the motives behind Earth Hour, you back it up with facts supporting your argument, but somehow it is being unfair to criticise using specific examples.
Yet Tammy thinks it is totally fine to say; “actually, you’re just mean… and i don’t understand why an obviously intelligent man like yourself continues to kill your own credibility.”
She can say what she likes, but to attack someones credibility when the fact are presented for all to see — beckon defence of one’s own arguments.
There is much open hostility to Earth Hour around here, and the reasons why are probably quite justified. [Even Feenixx first off the bat cottoned on to it!] Say what you like, but Earth Hour is becoming yesterday’s news, passing into ancient history.
Stupid Australian started this nonsense in 2007, and it seems they are just about to end it! It has passed its “Use By” data!
If it reminds one person to turn off his/her lights when not in use then, it’s accomplished it’s objective.
its objective.
Enough said.
HSBC- You somehow have made my day again! I was so elated, I turned on every light in the house, barn, and outside spots. It was really pretty! I noticed all my neighbors must have felt the same way, most lights I’ve seen in months. Actually, this article and one on fox were the only two places I even saw mention of this nonevent, and the fox article was talking about the lack of participation. Seemed like a damn silly idea when I first heard of it and hasn’t gotten any better.
Good commentary!
Wow – good one you clown! It’s people like you that are f__king up astronomy for everyone. Do you honestly not see the irony in bragging about turning on every superfluous light on your property here on a website dedicated to astronomy? Or are you just a funny guy?
Either way – that vague feeling that you get behind your eyes from time to time is probably your brain slowly realising that you’re a knob.
Actually Astro, I live in an isolated part of the NC mountains, few neighbors and great sky views and usually very dark. It was quite ironic that Saturday evening was one of the few times that it seemed everyone within view had all their lights on.
Like most of the other ‘green’ issues which make it the public’s conscience and involve them it’s merely a publicity stunt. Now they’ve done it they can all feel good about themselves. Ooo, was that Bono and Bangellina I saw horning in on the action?
I don’t understand. The beneficiaries are the inhabitants of this earth! Regardless if some suggest it serves a “green” agenda, “waste not, want not”!
Come on folks, climate change aside, if this becomes a scheduled event so be it, it won’t be “law”, it will simply serve as a reminder to those that “care” that we have to curb our wasteful behavior.