Community Corner

Join the Dark Side: Residents Urged to Be Part of Earth Hour 2011

The World Wildlife Fund's global climate change initiative encourages everyone to "go dark" for one hour starting at 8:30 p.m. Saturday, March 26.

These days, most people are plugged in 24/7: whether we’ve got lights blazing, the TV blaring or the computer booted up, we rely on electricity for most aspects of our lives.

Since 2007, people around the world have joined a movement aimed at taking a stand against climate change and working toward sustainability by powering down for one hour, known as “Earth Hour.” The event is organized by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

According to www.earthhour.org, a record 128 countries and hundreds of millions of people switched off their lights and electronic gadgets in 2010. Even global landmarks have gotten on board, including San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, Rome’s Colosseum, CN Tower in Toronto and the Sydney Harbour Bridge, all going dark for one hour.

Find out what's happening in Romeovillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The Village of Romeoville is encouraging residents to be part of this year’s Earth Hour. Participating is easy: Just switch off those lights, appliances and energy-using gadgets from one hour, starting at 8:30 p.m. Saturday.

Here are some highlights from the history of Earth Hour, courtesy of www.earthhour.org:

Find out what's happening in Romeovillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

  • March 31, 2007: The first Earth Hour is held in Sydney, Australia, from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. local time.
  • April 2007: Plans get under way to make Earth Hour a national event in Australia, but international interest is high, and cities across the globe begin signing up for the next Earth Hour.
  • March 29, 2008: Earth Hour is held in 371 cities and towns in more than 35 countries; it’s estimated 50 million people participate.
  • March 28, 2009: Earth Hour is held from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. local time, drawing hundreds of millions of participants in 4,000 cities across 88 countries.
  • March 27, 2010: Earth Hour succeeds in being a global call to action to take responsibility and lead the global journey to a sustainable future, with a record 128 countries participating, along with iconic buildings and landmarks from Asia Pacific to Europe, Africa and the Americas.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here