What began as a campaign to get Sydneysiders to turn their lights off, has grown to become one of the world’s biggest climate change initiatives. This year, at 8.30pm on March 28, people around the world will turn their lights for one hour – Earth Hour. One billion people, more than 1000 cities, mobilising in a global effort to ensure world leaders commit to actioning the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

Earth Hour started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia with 2.2 million homes and businesses turning their lights off for one whole hour. Only a year later and this event had become a global sustainability movement with up to 100 million people across 35 countries participating. Global landmarks such as the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Rome’s Colosseum and the Coca Cola billboard in Times Square, all stood in darkness, as symbols of hope for a cause that grows more urgent by the hour.

Earth Hour 2009 is a global call to action to every individual, every business and every community. A call to stand up, to take responsibility and to get involved in working towards a sustainable future. Iconic buildings and landmarks from Europe to The Americas will stand in darkness. People across the world will turn off their lights and join together in creating the vital conversation about the future of our precious planet.

Earth Hour is a message of hope and a message of action. Everyone can make a difference.

Earth Hour website: http://www.earthhour.org/

Earth Hour Malaysian website: http://www.earthhour.org.my/main.php

Earth logo and text obtained from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/earthhour_global/