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Rio During Earth Hour
Photograph by Felipe Dana, AP
Silhouetted against still bright city lights below, Rio de Janeiro's "Christ the Redeemer" statue goes dark for Earth Hour 2011 on Saturday night.
The Brazilian icon joined the Empire State Building, the Eiffel Tower, Beijing's Forbidden City, and hundreds of other world landmarks that were abruptly blacked out from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m., local time.
(See before-and-after Earth Hour pictures from past years.)
The organizers behind the fifth annual Earth Hour urged people to turn off lights and other nonessential appliances in a symbolic show of support for action against climate change and for energy conservation in general.
In 2010, 128 countries and territories took part in Earth Hour. Eighty-nine national capitals participated, as did nine of the world's ten biggest cities, thousands of other communities, countless businesses, and hundreds of millions of individuals, according to WWF, the international conservation nonprofit that organizes Earth Hour.
Earth Hour 2011 was even larger, said organizers, who called Earth Hour 2011 "a record breaking year for the annual lights-out event."
(Related: "This Earth Hour, Don't Forget to Look Up.")
—With reporting by Brian Handwerk
Published March 28, 2011
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Rio Before Earth Hour
Photograph by Felipe Dana, AP
Illuminated as usual, "Christ the Redeemer" shines over Rio de Janeiro just before Earth Hour 2011.
Published March 28, 2011
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Sydney Park During Earth Hour
Photograph by Lisa Maree Williams, Getty Images
The monumental, mouthy gateway to Sydney, Australia's historic Luna Park amusement park took on a rosy glow in the darkness of Earth Hour 2011 on Saturday night.
Published March 28, 2011
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Sydney Park Before Earth Hour
Photograph by Alison French, My Shot
The Luna Park portal displays its typical electric appeal on a non-Earth Hour night (file picture).
Published March 28, 2011
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Hong Kong During Earth Hour
Photograph by Paul Hilton, EPA
In Hong Kong, China, more than 3,200 companies and buildings shut off the lights Saturday night for Earth Hour 2011, setting a new record for the city's participation in the campaign, according to Chinese news service Xinhua.
Published March 28, 2011
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Hong Kong Before Earth Hour
Photograph by Paul Hilton, EPA
Seen from Victoria Peak shortly before Earth Hour, Hong Kong's electrified skyline didn't seem significantly brighter than it did during Earth Hour on Saturday night.
Published March 28, 2011
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Central Hong Kong During Earth Hour
Photograph by Kin Cheung, AP
Seen from the street, some commercial buildings in Hong Kong seem to vanish into the night during Earth Hour 2011 on Saturday.
Published March 28, 2011
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Central Hong Kong Before Earth Hour
Photograph by Kin Cheung, AP
Shown just before Earth Hour on Saturday, Hong Kong buildings are aglow with the "nonessential lights" that give their exteriors vibrant colors and patterns, lending the Chinese city its distinctive—if energy hungry—skyline.
Published March 28, 2011
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Athens During Earth Hour
Photograph by John Kolesidis, Reuters
The Parthenon and the Herodion theater are shrouded in darkness during Earth Hour in Athens, Greece, on Saturday.
Published March 28, 2011
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Athens After Earth Hour
Photograph by John Kolesidis, Reuters
The Parthenon and the Herodion theater shine like beacons above Athens, Greece, after Earth Hour on Saturday.
Published March 28, 2011
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Jakarta, Indonesia, During Earth Hour
Photograph from Supri/Reuters
The Welcome Statue fountain in Jakarta, Indonesia, goes dim during Earth Hour on Saturday.
The city of 18.7 million—Southeast Asia's biggest—also darkened their city hall, the National Monument (Monas), and other landmarks, according to WWF.
Published March 28, 2011
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Jakarta, Indonesia Before Earth Hour
Photograph from Supri/Reuters
Jakarta's Welcome Statue fountain shimmers before Earth Hour on Saturday.
Other Indonesian cities joined Earth Hour for the first time in 2011, including Bandung, Semarang, Yogyakarta, and Surabaya, according to WWF.
Published March 28, 2011
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