Save the date for March 28 2009. Actually, to be specific, save the hour. From 8:30 - 9:30pm on that day, people across the world will participate in Earth Hour by turning off their lights. Presumably, the time will correspond to your own time zone, so don't worry about trying to synchronize worldwide- though that would be pretty amazing.
The concept started two years ago in Sydney, Australia. 2.2 million people cut their electricity that year. Just one year later, the concept had gone global and 50 million people in 370 cities around the world shut off their power. Iconic structures such as the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, the Colosseum in Rome and even the Coca Cola billboard in Times Square all participated by going dark.
This year, Earth Hour is aiming to get one billion people involved. Individuals, communities, businesses and governments are all invited to participate. It's as simple as turning off the power. For just one hour.
The mayor of Las Vegas has reportedly pledged to support the initiative by encouraging hotels on and off the strip to either dim or entirely shut down their neon marquee signs. Keep in mind, the Vegas strip is supposed to be the brightest spot on earth when viewed from space. The strip dark? That would be a sight to see.
Other cities in America to join Earth Hour are Chicago, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Miami, Nashville, and San Francisco. Globally, 74 cities in 62 countries have pledged to go dark.
What good can just one hour do? It sends a powerful global message that people around the world care about the environment. "Earth Hour is a message of hope and a message of action."
But what can we do for an hour without electricity? In this modern age of technology, it seems everything we do requires electricity. That's one whole hour without cell phones, computers, cordless phones, Xbox, Play Station or Wii, no television (and no DVR!) or movies, no microwaves, no driving, and the list goes on. Gasp! What are we to do? Perhaps (and I know this sounds crazy, but it just might work...) perhaps we could use this hour to reconnect with friends and family on a (here it comes!) face to face basis. I know it sounds odd, but once upon a time that was how the world worked (or so I hear).
Plan ahead, invite people you can spend an hour straight with, buy a bunch of candles and try a board game. Or attend an acoustic candlelight concert. To see what people in your area are doing or to find special functions in your city, go to http://www.earthhour.org/locations. From here, you can link to cities in the US that are participating. Or to see what people are doing worldwide, head to the global website: http://www.earthhour.org/.
Can't find your town on the map? Check out this link: http://www.earthhour.org/content/MakingEarthHourHappenInYourTown.pdf and make Earth Hour happen in your town.

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