At 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 26, 2011, lights will switch off around the globe for Earth Hour and people will call attention to climate change and commit to actions for the planet that go beyond the hour.
With Earth Hour almost upon us, our thoughts are with the people of Japan during this incredibly challenging and sad time for their country.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon leads a host of world and civic leaders supporting Earth Hour 2011 as a powerful symbol of a shared wish for a sustainable and secure future.
"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. "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."
Messages of support for Earth Hour 2011 have also come from a host of world and civil leaders, including Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu,
"Climate change is the greatest human induced crisis facing our world today. It is totally indiscriminate of race, culture, class, nationality or religious belief. It affects every living organism on the planet -- including all of us," Archbishop Emeritus Tutu said. "Through the symbolic act of switching off our lights for one hour on Saturday 26 March from 8:30 - 9:30 p.m. we will collectively send our clarion call for change around the globe."
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.
Click here to learn more about Earth Hour and see inspiring videos and photos of actions around the world.
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