Earth Hour by lemmingstone
On March 27, 2010 at 8:30 p.m., join millions of individuals, governments, businesses, and other organizations around the world in celebrating Earth Hour by turning off your lights for one hour in a symbolic action to bring attention to climate change.
This simple act is intended to deliver a strong message about the need to implement immediate solutions to what is believed to be the greatest threat our human species has ever faced. Switching off lights for one hour will unite us in a commitment to stop climate change.
If every household in New Jersey turned off the lights for one hour, New Jersey would save 508 MW of electricity and $1.9 million in electricity costs. In addition, during that same hour we could avoid emitting 230 metric tons of carbon dioxide, which is equivalent to planting 5,897 trees or taking 16,050 cars off the road for one day.
Earth Hour began in 2007 in Sydney, Australia with 2.2 million homes and businesses shutting off their lights for one hour. In 2008, this event became a global sustainability movement with about 50 million people in 35 countries participating. Nearly one billion people turned out for Earth Hour 2009 – involving 4,100 cities in 87 countries on seven continents. In the United States alone, 80 million Americans and 318 U.S. cities officially voted for action with their light switch.
A number of iconic landmarks from around the world that went dark for Earth Hour last year includes: Empire State Building, Brooklyn Bridge, Broadway Theater Marquees, Las Vegas Strip, United Nations Headquarters, Golden Gate Bridge, Seattle’s Space Needle, Church of Latter-Day Saints Temple, Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Great Pyramids of Giza, Acropolis and Parthenon in Athens, Christ the Redeemer Statue in Rio de Janeiro, St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, Big Ben and Houses of Parliament in London, Elysee Palace and Eiffel Tower in Paris, Beijing’s Birds Nest and Water Cube, Symphony of Lights in Hong Kong and Sydney’s Opera House
This year, organizers hope that over 1 billion people in 1,000 cities around the world will participate in this awareness event. Well known landmarks will dim their lights, including: the world’s tallest hotel building in Dubai – the Burj Dubai, Toronto’s CN Tower, Moscow’s Federation Tower, Australia’s Sydney Opera House, the Eiffel Tower and Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, and Table Mountain in Cape Town.
We can do this in fun ways by going star watching with our kids, having a candlelight dinner at home with family and friends, throwing a neighborhood block party, or doing something more with your town and local businesses to encourage them to shut off non-essential lighting.
For more information, please visit: http://www.myearthhour.org/