Go dark!

By Recycla

Are you ready to go dark?

This Saturday is Earth Hour 2009.

Earth Hour is World Wildlife Fund’s global initiative where individuals, businesses, and governments turn off their lights for one hour to show their support for action on climate change.  Earth Hour is a symbolic event designed to engage people from all walks of life in the climate change discussion to send a strong message to our political leaders that we want them to take meaningful action on climate change.

How do you participate in Earth Hour? It’s easy:  All you have to do is turn off all of your non-essential lighting on March 28th at 8:30p.m.  That’s it!  Just like New Year’s Eve, Earth Hour will travel from time zone to time zone for 24 hours starting in New Zealand.

Two years ago, the people of Sydney, Australia (2.2 million people) turned off their lights for one hour. More than 2,100 businesses switched off too. As a result, Sydney’s energy consumption was reduced by 10.2%. Even the Opera House turned off its famous lights, temporarily changing the Sydney Harbor’s beautiful skyline (see the two photos on the right). What began as one city taking a stand against global warming caught the attention of the world.

This year, more than 540 cities and towns in more than 60 countries are committed to the cause.

Toronto — Earth Hour 2008

Earth Hour is about simple changes that will collectively make a difference – from businesses turning off their lights when their offices are empty, to households turning off appliances rather than leaving them on standby.

As this idea catches the attention (and more importantly, participation) of more and more cities around the world, just imagine what Earth would look like from space during that hour.

If you get a chance, visit the Earth Hour website. There’s a lot to learn there, not just about Earth Hour, but about how you can make changes every day. You know, those things that the Eco Women keep urging you to do.

Tell the Eco Women:  Will you participate in Earth Hour?