If you visited the Google.com homepage today, you’ll notice that the background is black, as shown in the image to the left.
That’s in recognition of “Earth Hour” and to spread awareness of the event. Created by the World Wildlife Fund in Sydney, Australia in 2007, where 2.2 million people participated; the event has grown into a global movement in 2008.
According to the official “Earth Hour” website, this year “millions of people, businesses, governments and civic organizations in nearly 200 cities around the globe will turn out for Earth Hour. More than 100 cities across North America will participate, including the US flagships–Atlanta, Chicago, Phoenix and San Francisco and Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver“.
Tonight, to acknowledge their commitment to energy conservation, people around the globe will turn their lights off for one hour – between 8 and 9 pm – in their local time zone.
Although turning off the 2 compact flourescent bulbs that typically light our house at night won’t produce any significant drop at the hydro station – as supporters of any initiative to bring awareness to climate change we’ll be ‘lights out’ here at home at 8 — will you?
[tags]earth hour[/tags]
About Rosalind Gardner
I didn’t see google with the black background.
It’s great that Google helps to spread awarness of earth hour, this might actually make a difference. It would probably help more if Google actually shut down their servers for one hour though (LOL).
I will turn off my light bulbs, it might not help a lot … but it will certainly help if enough people will do it. It’s a goog thing I saw your post in time, it’s only 38 minutes left until 8 pm
Thank you for sharing.
I saw the Google blackout, and although I groaned, I understood why such a wealthy company would want to play along with the fascist game of “progressive man bashing.”
As for myself… I celebrated Earth Hour with a David Takayoshi Suzuki book burning block party.
Nice, TC. Glad I don’t live on your block.
Here in Ontario, we took part. Well, my husband had to watch his hockey game,
and I read. We almost forgot about it, until we noticed the neighbourhood looked a little “black.” And then, we remembered.
I just want to mention though that earlier in the day, we were quite proud ourselves as we watched a news item on TV talking about the lightbulbs we should all be using when the standard models will be phased out. Of course, we have already started to switch. And then they talked about don’t ever drop one. They have mercury in them, and you will literally have to call in a special
crew to clean it up. Needless to say, I hope it’s a long time before I ever have to change one.
Elizabeth,
Good for you guys… I managed to convince Ed that turning the TV off was part of the ‘deal’.
I was really impressed by Toronto’s reported decrease in usage… 8.7%.
Woohoo!
I have to say quite honestly that THIS is the first I’ve heard about ‘Earth Hour’ or ‘Earth day’.
Was it only an American thing, or we Brit’s ‘kept in the dark’ so to speak?
Pete.
Hi Pete,
Both events are celebrated globally. Earth Day started in the U.S. in 1969 and Earth Hour was pioneered by the World Wildlife Foundation in Australia in 2007.
Cheers,
Ros