It’s that time of the year again, when people join together in one of the strongest movements to take action against global environmental issues. The annual event of Earth Hour continues to gain momentum as we become more and more aware that we all have an interest in protecting the environment, and that through simple actions we can make a difference.

How it all began: Earth Hour began in Sydney in 2007, when 2.2 million homes and businesses switched off their lights for one hour. In 2008 the message had grown into a global sustainability movement, with 50 million people switching off their lights. The goal in 2009 is to get 1 billion to participate—so far, people from 83 countries and over 2700 cities have already committed to this worthwhile cause, but we need your help too!

Why Participate? Earth Hour is a symbolic event. Turning off our lights for an hour won’t stop climate change but it does demonstrate that our individual action is important and adds up to make a big difference. More importantly, it sends a very powerful message to government and world leaders that people want policies and regulations put in place that can achieve meaningful emission reduction to help fight climate change.

How to Participate: Everyone can participate in Earth Hour! And it’s as simple as flicking off a switch – literally. You can participate by yourself or with your family, friends and just a few candles. Or check out what’s happening in your own community. There are many cities, community groups, restaurants and bars that participate or host Earth Hour events.

Here are some simple tips to make Earth Hour a success:

1. Turn off all non-essential lights on Saturday, March 28 from 8:30 pm - 9:30 pm.
2. Encourage family, friends and local businesses to participate.
3. Sign up at www.EarthHourCanada.org [1] and you could win a trip to the Polar Bear Capital of the World!

Enjoy a candle-lit soirée, or take a walk under the stars for once (who knew - there are stars in the city too?!)

What makes Earth Hour so effective is that we become empowered to see that simple, individual actions can make a difference. This is what One Change [2] —is all about-- empowering people to believe that their simple actions – like changing a light bulb and perhaps flicking the switch off more often – actually do matter when it comes to protecting the environment. So the next time you feel like your individual actions don’t have a big impact on global problems, remember Earth Hour and the millions of people all over the world who are doing their part by switching off their lights.

To check out the Earth Hour 2009 website and see which countries and cities are turning off their lights visit www.earthhour.org/ [3].

To see a cool video that shows major landmarks and cities turning off their lights click here [4].