I'm not sure how many of you have heard of Earth Hour, but it's in interesting idea that started in Sydney Australia in 2007. The project's target was to reduce energy use by 5%. The project succeeded in reaching its goal, and exceeded it greatly. They saved over 10% energy, double their goal! Earth Hour's purpose is to inspire people to take action on climate change. The aim of the campaign is to express that individual action on a mass scale can help change our planet for the better. They asked people in Sydney Australia to turn their lights off for one hour, from 8pm-9pm. Their website states "On 31 March 2007, 2.2 million people and 2100 Sydney businesses turned off their lights for one hour - Earth Hour. If the greenhouse reduction achieved in the Sydney CBD during Earth Hour was sustained for a year, it would be equivalent to taking 48,616 cars off the road for a year.

With Sydney icons like the Harbour Bridge and Opera House turning their lights off, and unique events such as weddings by candlelight, the world took notice. Inspired by the collective effort of millions of Sydneysiders, many major global cities are joining Earth Hour in 2008, turning a symbolic event into a global movement. The success of Earth Hour in Sydney shows that, together, our small actions can make a difference to global warming. There are two key objectives for Earth Hour. The first is to engage as many households, communities and business to turn their lights out for one hour on March 29 2008 from 8pm– 9pm. By creating awareness and securing engagement of the broader community, the second objective is to measure the change in our greenhouse gas emissions over the following 12 months – aiming for a reduction in the year following Earth Hour. In 2008, however, Earth Hour will be taking place in over 20 cities, (including Phoenix, Chicago, and Vancouver) around the world, and the list keeps growing.

Turning off your lights for one hour is an easy and simple task to take part in. Earth Hour isn't asking you to turn off all your appliances, such as your fridge to use as little energy as possible, just your lights. Today is March 29th, will you be taking part in Earth Hour? It's from 8pm-9pm in your time zone. Set your alarms as a reminder!