Earth Hour is approaching. On March 28, 2009 at 8:30 pm CST, the World Wildlife Fund is asking people to turn off their lights and electricity for 60 minutes or one hour.
This effort is to take action for climate change, and energy conservation, and is a worldwide event.
Chicago
As Earth Hour blows through the Windy City, Chicago’s soaring skyscrapers, including the Sears Tower and John Hancock Center, will join popular attractions such as Navy Pier and Wrigley Field for an hour of darkness in America’s heartland."
Las Vegas
What happens in Vegas, normally stays there. But when the infamous Strip goes dark for a full hour for the first time in history, it’s worth talking about. City visitors and residents will be in luck as the “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign, Stratosphere, Fremont Street Experience (largest digital screen in the world) and Luxor’s shining beam turn out for an extraordinary, historic event.
New York
From the top of the Empire State Building to the darkened marquees of Broadway’s theaters, the Big Apple will be participating in Earth Hour in a big way. New Yorkers will see Coca-Cola’s, Reuters and other digital billboards in Times Square go dark, as well as the U.N. headquarters building, the Chrysler Building, Rockefeller Center, the Brooklyn Bridge and dozens more buildings throughout the famously-busy city as it pauses for one hour to reflect on ways to increase sustainability practices.
San Francisco
As the lights go out on the Golden Gate Bridge, Coit Tower and the TransAmerica Building, the City by the Bay will enjoy an hour without power as a returning Earth Hour flagship city.
Washington, D.C.
The nation’s capitol will set a shining example by turning off some of the city’s most recognizable landmarks in the District, such as the National Cathedral, World Bank, Chinatown Arch and Smithsonian Castle.
Joining these cities will be sites of significance throughout the country, including: Thomas Edison’s laboratory in West Orange, NJ (birthplace of the incandescent light bulb), the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, and the Space Needle in Seattle.
The event on March 28th is just one step in an ongoing effort to fight climate change. After the lights go out around the world on this evening, WWF hopes that conversations will continue on climate change and that people will take initiatives to make small changes in their lives to be more carbon efficient.
WWF encourages simple but effective energy-saving measures such as installing compact fluorescent light bulbs, which are more efficient and last much longer than traditional incandescent bulbs, choosing energy efficient appliances, making sure their car tires are properly inflated and unplugging electronics when they are not in use.
WWF officials stress the importance of safety during Earth Hour, asking that all lighting related to public safety remain on.
More information about Earth Hour and ways to get involved can be found at http://www.EarthHourUS.org/.
Besides turning off your lights, if you'd like to donate to the World Wildlife Fund, click
here.
