The Acropolis and the Herodion in Athens also switched off to show support for Earth Hour
More than 134 countries across the world, are switching off their lights for an hour today to support action to create a sustainable future for the planet.
Stunning before-and-after pictures of the moment the Eiffel Tower
Environment charity WWF has organised the Earth Hour event which will see iconic buildings such as Big Ben, the BT Tower, Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, Edinburgh Castle, Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol, Stormont in Northern Ireland and Cardiff’s Millennium Centre blacking out for an hour.
The event, which takes place at 8.30pm local time around the world, started in Fiji, New Zealand and Australia.
Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro are switched off
The aim is to highlight the charity’s call on governments, organisations and individuals to pledge their commitment to tackling climate change.
Colin Butfield, head of campaigns, WWF-UK, said: ‘Our event at the Royal Albert Hall, alongside the hundreds of thousands of events across the world, shows global support for the need to tackle climate change and protect the natural world. The challenge for our future well-being could not be greater. WWF’s Earth Hour is about creating a message so powerful that governments and businesses cannot fail to take notice’.
Earth Hour started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia, when 2.2 million individuals and more than 2,000 businesses turned their lights off for one hour to take a stand against climate change.
The following year, Earth Hour had become a global sustainability movement with more than 50 million people across 35 countries participating.
As well as people in 4,000 cities taking part this year, other landmarks which will stand in darkness for the hour will be Old Trafford, the London Eye, the Eiffel Tower, the Empire State Building, Granada’s Alhambra in Spain, Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer in Brazil, Athens’ Acropolis in Greece, India Gate in New Delhi, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi and Sydney’s Opera House. Four of the world’s five tallest buildings will turn off their lights with the tallest, the 828-metre Burg Khalifa in Dubai, switching off about half a million lights.
Also darkening for the occasion are floodlights on natural wonders such as Niagara and Victoria Falls and Table Mountain in South Africa.
The lights around Sydney’s Harbor and the iconic Opera House are recognized across the world.
China also took part and this picture shows the National Aquatics Centre. This year, 85 Chinese cities pledged to turn their lights off – more than double from last year
The ‘Birds Nest’ stadium in Beijing, China during the power
Earth Hour co-founder and executive director Andy Ridley poses on the Sydney Harbour Bridge as the lights around the harbour and iconic Opera House are turned off
March 28, 2011 at 5:38 am
http://globalwarmingsupporter.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/earthhour-poll-nz.jpg
New Zealanders are thinking less of earth hour. I understand that the response was down 30% from last year as well.
Not surprising as more people are seeing through the AGW baloney.
Cheers
Roger
http://www.rogerfromnewzealand.wordpress.com