Earth Hour: Power down for 60 minutes on March 28

[WhiteTara]

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/travel/2008889064_trearthhour22.html
The Washington Post and Seattle Times Travel staff

On March 28, if the lights go off in your Cape Town hotel or, close to home, a Seattle hotel restaurant switches to candles, do not be alarmed. It's not an electrical-grid meltdown but a global show of support.

During Earth Hour, citizens of the world are asked to turn off their power for one hour, starting at 8:30 p.m. local time, in a symbolic stance against global warming.

The World Wildlife Fund started the event two years ago in Sydney, with 2.2 million people and thousands of businesses going dark. The next year, more than 400 cities on all seven continents participated. Some high-wattage landmarks even got involved, including the Sydney Opera House and, in New York, the Coke billboard in Times Square and the Empire State Building.

For 2009, so far nearly 1,200 cities — including Chicago, Guatemala City, Vancouver, B.C., Mumbai and Bangkok — in 80 countries have signed on. Group organizers aim for 1 billion people to flick the switch, an achievement they hope to present at the United Nations Climate Change Conference, to be held in Copenhagen this year.

Some cities and travel businesses are turning the statement into a celebration.

What an awesome sight that would be to see the earth dark for just a little while and only the moon and stars to light the night.

[hlthe2b]

1. won't that make it hard to watch?

:evilgrin:

[Bluzmann57]

2. 8:30 Seattle time is 10:30 here

so it shouldn't be a problem at private residences across the heartland.

[marybourg]

4. "local time" nt.

[gristy]

3. Turn off my power for one hour, starting at 8:30 p.m??

But it's dark out! Do I have to turn out the lights too? :P

[One Voice]

5. Link to Earth Hour US web site...

http://www.earthhourus.org/main.php

[RC]

6. What about the people watching their favorite tv shows?

Do they have to suffer too?

[ConcernedCanuk]

7. Earth hour last year - Toronto Ontario, Canada

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[Maat]

8. I'm on board!

Thanks for the pix! This is SO cool!

[misanthrope]

9. I heard a lot of locals and general Republican pigs...

...bragging how they made it a point to heighten energy consumption during that observation.

[Wiley50]

10. so much for anyone hooked up to a heart/lung machine n/t

[WhiteTara]

11. well, okay, we'll leave some lights on!

that would really be a downer part of the evening!