EARTH HOUR

What do all of these cities have in common?

* Asbury Park, United States
* Atlanta, United States
* Bangkok, Thailand
* Chicago, United States
* Christchurch, New Zealand
* Copenhagen, Denmark
* Dubai, UAE
* Dublin, Ireland
* Honolulu, United States
* Lautoka, Fiji
* London, UK
* Manila, Philippines
* Melbourne, Australia
* Montreal, Canada
* Odense, Denmark
* Ottawa, Canada
* Phoenix, United States
* San Francisco, United States
* Singapore, Singapore
* Sydney, Australia
* Tel Aviv, Israel
* Toronto, Canada
* Vancouver, Canada

Well, besides all being in this post, all of these cities are participating in Earth Hour -- and this is just a sampling of the cities.

What is Earth Hour? I'll let their website answer that question.

It started with a question: How can we inspire people to take action on climate change?

The answer: Ask the people of Sydney to turn off their lights for one hour.

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.

So tonight, turn off all non-essential electrical appliances and lights. I'm sure you'll be able to find something to do in the dark.