Photograph by David Gray, Reuters
Lights from Sydney, Australia's many buildings paint the harbor two days before Earth Hour 2013, which took place on March 23.
The movement, which began in Sydney in 2007, is a way for people around the world to show their support for tougher action on global warming by turning off the lights for one hour starting at 8:30 p.m. local time.
Going dark is just the start for many organizations and governments around the world. Environmental challenges inspired by Earth Hour include planting 500,000 trees in Uganda to highlight deforestation in the African country to gathering over a hundred thousand signatures on a petition to ban logging in parts of Russia, according to the Earth Hour website.
The annual event is held at the end of March to coincide with the spring and autumnal equinoxes in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
Published March 25, 2013
Photograph by David Gray, Reuters
It's lights out for Sydney in this March 23 picture taken during Earth Hour. The global event got its start in this Australian city in 2007, when 2.2 million individuals and 2,000 businesses turned off their lights for the inaugural event, according to Earth Hour's website.
Published March 25, 2013
Photograph by Bobby Yip, Reuters
Buildings in Hong Kong's financial district dazzle the eye with light in this March 23 picture taken before 8:30 p.m. local time.
Published March 25, 2013
Photograph by Bobby Yip, Reuters
Hong Kong's financial district powers down its lights in honor of Earth Hour.
Some lucky celebrants got to watch the lights go out from sky100, the observation deck located on the hundredth floor of the International Commerce Centre, nearly 1,300 feet (393 meters) above sea level.
Published March 25, 2013
Photograph by Bertrand Langlois, AFP/Getty Images
The lights adorning France's iconic Eiffel Tower shine before Earth Hour.
Over 150 countries participated in Earth Hour 2012. This year, Palestine and Tunisia joined the roster of countries showing their support for the environment by turning off the lights.
Published March 25, 2013
Photograph by Bertrand Langlois, AFP/Getty Images
The Eiffel Tower goes dark in honor of Earth Hour 2013. Although the annual event asks participants to keep their lights off for an hour, due to security reasons the lights at the Eiffel Tower were only turned off for five minutes, according to the news agency Agence France-Presse.
Published March 25, 2013
Photograph by Heinz-Peter Bader, Reuters
In a picture taken March 21, Vienna's city hall glows a ghostly white. The Austrian capital city was one of thousands of cities to participate in Earth Hour 2013.
During the 2012 event, more than 7,000 cities and towns around the world took part in the symbolic show of support for the environment.
Published March 25, 2013
Photograph by Heinz-Peter Bader, Reuters
Austria's capital turned off the lights in its city hall in a show of support for action on climate change during Earth Hour 2013. The building joined castles and monuments throughout Austria that powered down for the hour-long event.
Published March 25, 2013
Photograph by Sergii Polezhaka, Reuters
The Mother of the Motherland monument stands tall in Kiev, Ukraine, before going dark as part of Earth Hour 2013. The stainless steel sculpture is part of the National Museum of History of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 Years.
Published March 25, 2013
Photograph by Sergii Polezhaka, Reuters
The Mother of Motherland monument is a dark figure against a foggy night sky during Earth Hour 2013. Even with its lights turned off, the Kiev landmark is still visible, seeming to watch over the city.
Published March 25, 2013
Photograph by David Ebener, European Pressphoto Agency
Germany's Bridge City Hall in Bamberg stands bathed in a yellow glow prior to participation in Earth Hour 2013. The town of Bamberg is listed as a World Heritage site by UNESCO.
Published March 25, 2013
Photograph by David Ebener, European Pressphoto Agency
The lights go out on Bridge City Hall in the German town of Bamberg during Earth Hour 2013. The town was considered the center of enlightenment in southern Germany in the late 1700s, according to UNESCO.
Published March 25, 2013
Photograph by Jean-Christophe Bott, Keystone/AP
Published March 25, 2013
Basically all pictures looks in a way that b4 earth hour supports after earth hour with light, in fact if no natural light the picture we saw should be ambient, its tricky to find out who should cut off energy & when. Ooo yes plus what do we do with the energy that was saved during earth hour, was it saved or did we just prolonged its release, did we spend more to compensate the darkness we encountered during the earth hour......questions never end.
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