To support action on climate change, UN to dim lights for "Earth Hour" on Saturday, 27 March 2010

Earth Hour, promoted by WWF, the global conservation organization, asks people and organizations to turn off their lights for one hour on Saturday night between 8:30-9:30 p.m. local time, in whatever time zone they may be located.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called Earth Hour “both a warning and a beacon of hope.”

“By switching off non-essential lights for an hour, people will join a symbolic display that can inspire the change we so urgently need,” he said. “As we watch the lights go out from continent to continent, let us reflect on the fragility and importance of our natural heritage and pledge to protect it for a sustainable future for all.”

“The message of Earth Hour is simple,” he added. “Climate change is a concern for each of us. Solutions are within our grasp and are ready to be implemented by individuals, communities, businesses and governments around the globe.”

Earth Hour organizers say that in 2009, hundreds of millions of people in 4,088 cities, towns and municipalities across 88 countries participated and hope that the event will reach more than one billion people around the globe, in more than 6,000 cities, this year.

The Earth Hour event takes place one week after the vernal equinox - when night and day are the same duration in both hemispheres - which ensures that it will be night-time for all people, wherever they are, at 8:30 in the evening.

The United Nations will be joining many other landmarks around the world in turning off its lights at its New York Headquarters and other locations.