Did you know that on Saturday, March 31 you can do something to change the world? By turning out your lights from 8:30 to 9:30 you will join millions of people across the world in an effort to take a stand against climate change.

In 2011, Earth Hour saw hundreds of millions of people across 135 countries turn off their electricity for an hour. But it also marked the start of something new—going Beyond the Hour to commit to lasting action on climate change. With the power of social networks, organizers hope to build a global community committed to sustainability.

Earth Hour began in 2006, when WWF-Australia inspired Sydney-siders to show their support for climate change action in the first ever Earth Hour event. It was designed to show that everyone, from children to CEOs and politicians, has the power to change the world they live in.

In March 2007 in Sydney, Australia, 2.2 million individuals and more than 2,000 businesses turned their lights out for one hour to take a stand against climate change.
 
In 2008, the plan was to take Earth Hour to the rest of Australia. The city of Toronto, Canada, signed up, and soon 35 countries and almost 400 cities and towns were part of the event.

With the invitation to “switch off” extended to everyone, Earth Hour quickly became an annual global event. It’s scheduled on the last Saturday of every March—closely coinciding with the equinox to ensure most cities are in darkness as it rolls out around the Earth.

The Lake Superior Zoo’s Green Team will celebrate Earth Hour 2012 on March 31 with a special event from 7 to 9 p.m. The zoo will turn out its lights and have a bonfire, campfire chili, and music, along with an educational presentation and lantern-lit walking tour. The Arrowhead Astronomical Society will be on hand with telescopes for viewing of the constellations.

The city of Duluth will join the celebration by turning out the lights on the city’s iconic lift bridge.

For more information on the zoo’s event, visit www.lszoo.org. For tips on how you can participate at home, visit earthhour.org. Join the world in taking a stand against climate change!