Earth Hour is a worldwide movement organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

The
event is held annually encouraging individuals, communities, households and businesses to turn off
their non-essential lights for one hour, from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. towards the end of March, as a symbol
for their commitment to the planet.[1] It was started as a lights-off event in Sydney, Australia, in 2007.
Since then, it has grown to engage more than 7,000 cities and towns across 172 countries
worldwide.[2]
Earth Hour 2016 was on Saturday, March 19, from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. during participants' local
time.[3] and was held March 25 in 2017.

Contents
[hide]

1History

o 1.1Conception and start: 20042007

o 1.22008

1.2.1Celebrations around the world

1.2.1.1Google

1.2.1.2TV channels

o 1.32009

1.3.1Participation

1.3.2Participating television and radio stations

o 1.42010

1.4.1Participating TV channels and radio stations

o 1.52011

o 1.62012

o 1.72013

1.7.1Africa

1.7.2Europe

o 1.82014

o 1.92015
 o 1.102016

o 1.112017

2Organisations that support Earth Hour

3Measurement of reduction in electricity use

4Criticism

5See also

6References

7External links

History[edit]
Conception and start: 20042007[edit]
In 2004, confronted with scientific findings, WWF Australia met with advertising agency Leo Burnett
Sydney to "discuss ideas for engaging Australians on the issue of climate change". [4] The idea of a
large scale switch off was coined and developed in 2006, originally under the working title "The Big
Flick". WWF Australia presented their concept to Fairfax Media who, along with Sydney Lord
Mayor Clover Moore, agreed to back the event.[4] The 2007 Earth Hour was held on March 31 in
Sydney, Australia at 7:30 pm, local time.
In October 2007 San Francisco ran its own "Lights Out" program inspired by the Sydney Earth Hour.
[5]
After their successful event in October, the organisers decided to rally behind the Earth Hour being
planned for March 2008.[6]

2008[edit]

Overview of Sydney during Earth Hour 2008

Wikinews has related

news: Businesses and
individuals worldwide
turn lights off as part
of Earth Hour 2008
Earth Hour 2008 was held internationally on March 29, 2008 from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. local time,
marking the first anniversary of the event. With 35 countries around the world participating as official
flagship cities and over 400 cities also supporting, Earth Hour 2008 was celebrated on all seven
continents. Landmarks around the world turned off their non-essential lighting for Earth Hour. Earth
Hour 2008 included 26 major cities worldwide and 300 smaller towns shutting off their lights. [7]
The official website for the event, earthhour.org, received over 6.7 million unique visitors in the week
leading up to Earth Hour. Other websites took part in the event, with Google's homepage going
"dark" on the day Earth Hour took place.
According to a Zogby International online survey, 36 million Americansapproximately 16 percent of
the United States adult populationparticipated in Earth Hour 2008. The survey also showed there
was a 4 percentage point increase in the level of interest in environmental issues such as climate
change and pollution directly after the event (73 percent pre-event versus 77 percent post-event). [8]

Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House were darkened during Earth Hour 2007.

Tel Aviv scheduled their Earth Hour for Thursday March 27, 2008 to avoid conflict with Sabbath.
[9]
Dublin moved their Earth Hour to between 9 and 10 p.m. due to their northern geographical
location.[10]

Azrieli Center in Tel Aviv darkened for Earth Hour 2010.

Colosseum darkened for Earth Hour 2008

Auditorio de Tenerife darkened for Earth Hour

According to WWF Thailand, Bangkok decreased electricity usage by 73.34 megawatts, which, over
one hour, is equivalent to 41.6 t