Earth Hour, Saturday, 8:30pm

Don't forget to do it in the dark, whatever "it" is. Whether you are reading, eating, watching television, exercising, or anything else, remember that Saturday, March 28 at 8:30pm local time is Earth Hour. Turn off all nonessential lighting for 60 minutes to show your support for saving the Earth and creating a healthier environment. Isn't "it" more fun by candlelight anyway?

Earth Hour 2009: March 28

Saturday, March 28 at 8:30pm local time, individuals, businesses, and cities across the world will honor Earth Hour 2009. Earth Hour simply asks you to switch off lights (where feasible) for one hour beginning at 8:30pm in your local time zone. Earth Hour seeks to raise awareness about climate change and is a "call to stand up and take control over the future of our planet."

The event started in 2007 with an estimated 2.2 million homes and businesses participating. In 2008, an estimated 50 million individuals participated. In 2009, organizers hope to reach 1 billion individuals. Will you participate?

Some Earth Hour 2008 results:

• Chicago saved an estimated 420 tons of carbon emissions



• Toronto's electricity usage dropped 8.7%



• British Colombia saved 125 megawatts of electricity

Did Turning Off Your Lights Matter?: Some Early Earth Day 2008 Results

Results are starting to come in from Earth Hour 2008. What impact can be made by turning off non-essential lighting for one hour?

Chicago saved an estimated 420 tons of carbon dioxide emissions

Toronto saw an 8.7% drop is electricity usage over the hour

British Columbia saved 125 megawatts of electricity

Bangkok saved 73.3 megawatts of electricity

Christchurch (in southern New Zealand) saw power consumption drop 12.8%

Fiji reports electricity use was down 11.2 megawatts and saved 7.34 tons of emissions

Dubai reduced electricity use by 100,000 kilowatts and 60,000 kilograms (60 tons) of emissions

Earth Hour, Saturday March 29, 8-9pm

This Saturday, March 29 is Earth Hour 2008. Cities, businesses, and individuals around the world are asked to turn off non-essential lighting for 60 minutes (8-9pm local time) "to deliver a powerful message about the need for action on global warming."

To date, over 250,000 individuals and 18,000 businesses have signed up to participate. Have you? Visit their website to register.

Earth Hour 2008: See The Difference You Can Make

Earth Hour is coming up March 29, 2008 and cities, businesses, and individuals around the world will turn off lights for 60 minutes (8-9pm local time) "to deliver a powerful message about the need for action on global warming."


Businesses and cities can get involved by turning off non-essential lighting during this 60-minute initiative. For futher suggestions on what your business can do for Earth Hour, read "How Your Business Can Support Earth Hour 2008." For this year's Earth Hour in the U.S., Chicago is serving as the flagship city, with Atlanta, Phoenix, and San Francisco serving as partner cities.

Earth Hour started in Sydney Australia last year. During the inaugural Earth Hour event, 2.2 million people and 2100 Sydney businesses turned off their lights for one hour resulting in at 10.2% reduction in energy consumption for the hour, which is equivalent to taking 48,000 cars off the road for a year.

Visit their website to register yourself or your business as a participant in Earth Hour 2008.