Earth Hour Today – 60 Minutes of Darkness to See the Light!

The 'lights off' button waits to be pressed which will switch off the illuminations on the Eiffel Tower for Earth Hour on March 28th 2009, Paris, France

Within hours, people in a record 134 countries and territories across the globe will switch off their lights for an hour in a unified show of support for action towards a sustainable future for our planet, including Lebanon.

Burg Khalifa in Dubai has around half a million lights!

Hundreds of landmarks in thousands of cities will go dark at 8:30pm Saturday local time, as hundreds of millions of people take part in the world’s largest voluntary action for the environment. And with individuals, organizations and governments this year pledging to take their Earth Hour commitment beyond the hour, it won’t end when the lights come back on.

“As we head into the fifth Earth Hour, with a record number of countries and territories taking part, it is inspiring to see what we can achieve when we come together for a common purpose,” said Andy Ridley, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Earth Hour. “Imagine what we can achieve if we go beyond the hour.”

The event will traverse the globe over 24 hours, from the first lights being dimmed across Fiji and New Zealand to lights being turned on again in Samoa. The transition will last longest in Russia, where 11 time zones are covered.

Instantly recognizable landmarks across the world that will stand in darkness for the hour include the Eiffel Tower, the London Eye and Big Ben, the Empire State Building, Dubai’s Burj al Arab hotel, Grenada’s Alhambra, Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer statue, Athens’ Acropolis, India Gate, Sheik Zayed Grand Mosque, the largest mosque in the United Arab Emirates and the Sydney Opera House.

Four of the world’s five tallest buildings will also turn out their lights, with the switch-off in the tallest, the 828 metre Burg Khalifa in Dubai involving around half a million lights.

London Eye will also play a part in Earth Hour

Also darkening for the occasion are floodlights on outstanding natural wonders such as Niagara and Victoria Falls and Table Mountain in South Africa.

Royal and presidential residences, castles and palaces in Peru, Thailand, Sweden, Madagascar and Honduras will turn off lights for an hour.  Also taking part is Africa’s largest single housing estate, the Gwarimpa Housing Estate in Lagos, Nigeria.

This year, a swell of support in Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia and the Americas has seen a number of countries taking part officially in Earth Hour for the first time including: Jamaica, Uganda, Swaziland, Iran, Tajikistan, Chad, Azerbaijan, Palestine, Suriname, Gibraltar, Uzbekistan, Trinidad and Tobago, Lesotho and Lebanon.

Today, March 26 2011 at 8:30 pm sharp the whole world will join forces for Earth Hour, in hope you will also do the same. It is simple… each one of us can play a small role in helping make a difference in our world and its future. At 8: 30 pm sharp, lights will switch off around the globe for Earth Hour and people will hopefully commit to actions that go beyond the hour.

We got news that the outside lights at Le Gray will be turned off for 60 minutes to mark the Earth Hour in participation of this global environmental endeavor. Le Gray and its Green Team are proud to announce their participation in the “Earth Hour” as part of their involvement in activities that help saving the planet. On Saturday 26^th March at 20:30 sharp, the outside building lights will be turned off and the guests will be invited, if they wish, to participate by turning off the room air-conditioning system and any unnecessary lights for 60 minutes. Le Gray staff will also participate by turning off the back area lights as well as any unnecessary lights without disturbing the hotel operations.

Le Gray has a Green Team continuously working to make the hotel a more environmentally responsible property. The Green Team was created with the mission to reduce the impact of all business decisions on the environment.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon leads a host of world and civic leaders supporting Earth Hour 2011 as a powerful symbol of a shared wish for a sustainable and secure future.

“All over the world individuals, communities, businesses and governments are creating new examples for our common future – new visions for sustainable living and new technologies to realize it,” said UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. “Let us join together to celebrate this shared quest to protect the planet and ensure human well-being.  Let us use 60 minutes of darkness to help the world see the light.”

With Earth Hour almost upon us, our thoughts are with the people of Japan during this incredibly challenging and sad time for their country.

BNL in its ongoing efforts to help save the environment encourages you all to do the same. It’s only an hour!