Have You Heard About Earth Hour?

What are you doing the evening of March 28?

For the third year in a row, people across the globe will be turning off their lights from 8:30 to 9:30 pm (local time) to take a stand against global warming. Mr. Gooch and I participated last year and will do so again this year. And just like last year, we will be eating a late dinner by candlelight. How romantic!

This year's theme is "Vote Earth," with a goal of 1,000,000,000 (that one billion) votes to show the leaders of the world that the inhabitants of this planet want them to take action against global warming. Each person who participates will be casting one vote so it is important to sign up now. To do so, visit www.earthhour.org or click here to go right to the sign up page.

Even better, the results of the Earth Hour "Vote Earth" election will be presented at the Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in 2009.

Last year, over 50 million people participated. Major metro areas turned off landmarks like the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Rome’s Colosseum, the Sydney Opera House and the Coca Cola billboard in Times Square. They all stood in darkness for Earth Hour.

Here in Chicago, the our famous skyline went dark with the Wrigley Building, Navy Pier, the Sears Tower, Millennium Park, the Theatre District, the Magnificent Mile among others all turning out the lights for one hour. An amazing sight, I have to tell you. According to the Earth Hour website, the impact of the darkening of those lights as well as the lights of the the 2.7 million other participants in Chicagoland region resulted in an electricity savings of 7 percent - the carbon emissions equivalent of taking 1 million cars off the road for one hour or planting 158 acres of trees.

This year, why not join Mr. Gooch and I, along with people living in 930 cities in 80 countries who will be voting Yes in an effort to fight global warming by turning out their lights for the hour between 8:30 and 9:30 pm on Saturday, March 28? And while you are at it, why not plan your own romantic candlelit dinner?

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