Lights Off! Earth Hour 2011

Join the biggest global party in the world this weekend… in the dark.

People in more than 120 countries, 4616 cities and towns, are joining the largest grass roots environmental movement in history and switching off their lights for Earth Hour at 8:30pm on Saturday, March 26th, 2011. The message is clear and will reach over 1.3 billion people: Save the planet by taking care of our environment. A statement not lost on us in the terrifying aftermath of the Japan earthquake and nuclear power station meltdown. This year Earth Hour want supporters to go beyond the hour and think about what else they can do to make a difference.

Here are some of the ways you can show our planet how much you love it:

1.    Turning off your lights at 8.30PM on March 26, 2011 wherever you are in the world and sign up to the movement.
2.    Run your own event, street or house party with friends and family. Add your event to the Global Meetup Map.
3.    Take Earth Hour beyond the Hour by taking action for the planet and telling us all about it.
4.    Tell the world through social media, or add these tools and downloads to your blogs and websites.
5.    Encourage your local government or community groups to run Earth Hour in your region.
6.    Rally your office or business to get involved.
7.    Make a Lantern and send it your friends.

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 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, the Eiffel Tower, Brandenburg Gate, Hiroshima Peace Memorial, Empire State Building, London Eye, Table Mountain, Christ the Redeemer statue, Rome’s Colosseum, all stood in darkness, as symbols of hope for a cause that grows more urgent by the hour. Earth Hour is organized by WWF. With almost 5 million supporters and a global network in over 100 countries/territories, it’s one of the world’s largest and most respected independent conservation organizations. WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the Earth’s natural environment and build a future where people live in harmony with nature.

This year global landmarks such as the Edinburgh Castle in Scotland, Bosphorous Bridge in Istanbul, Independence Angel in Mexico City, Italy’s Trevi Fountain in Rome and the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, India Gate and Red Fort in Delhi, the world’s tallest building, Burj Khalifa, in Dubai, as well as China’s most significant historic landmark, the Forbidden city in Beijing, will be going dark for 60 minutes contributing to a historic moment in the climate landscape.

Earth Hour is not just an event; it is a movement and a worldwide community advocating a new way of thinking and acting. Take a stand and give world leaders the mandate they need to make the right climate deal and lead the way towards a sustainable future.

To see the Earth Hour official video, see the player below. And lights out!