nless you’ve been living in the dark (in which case, this article doesn’t apply to you), chances are you’ve at least heard some mention of Earth Hour lately. It’s the environment-oriented event taking place on Saturday, March 29 from 8PM to 9PM. Despite all the talk, you still might be unfamiliar with the events' origins, intentions, and the ways that you can participate and lend your hand to the environment. Fear not – our guide to Earth Hour will demystify rumours and allow you to plan a great Saturday night. The streets may be dark (and prime for looting) but that doesn’t mean your eve can’t shine.

How It Started

The first Earth Hour took place a year ago and hails from the land of baby-eating dingoes, Vegemite (more like Vomitmite) and didgeridoos. It was in the ever-progressive state capital of Sydney, Australia that citizens decided to dim their lights and raise awareness of global warming. Nearly 2.2 million residents took part as the city dramatically reduced its energy consumption for the hour. The Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House were just some of the landmarks around the city that went dark. The electrical consumption in Sydney was decreased by approximately 5% during that hour. The result was equivalent to removing 48,616 cars from the road for a year! Undoubtedly, Al Gore shed a single tear that day. Ironically, Gore’s robot-like demeanour requires at least 250 kilowatts to produce emotion. You win some, you lose some, right?

The Evolution of the Hour

This year, the World Wildlife Fund (no affiliation to wrestling federations anywhere) has diverted their attention towards promoting Earth Hour, consequently leaving those cute little pandas to fend for themselves for a while. So far, about 30 official partner cities – from Dubai and Dublin to Miami and Montreal – have jumped on board and countless businesses, families and individuals worldwide have pledged to switch off come this Saturday.
Despite the zealous dedication many are showing to the event, it certainly isn’t without its fair share of haters. Many claim that the hour won’t actually make that much of a difference, environmentally speaking. Others say that to make change we must have a solid plan to carry through with, and that opting out of energy usage for one hour is a bona fide cop-out that reeks of a desperate search for self-actualization. One columnist even went so far as to call the event “fascist,” alleging that businesses feel they can’t say no to the WWF when they’re asked to participate. Nonetheless, he also goes on to lambaste Loblaw’s (the Canadian grocery chain) intentions to help the environment, stating that they are “depriving” customers of plastic shopping bags. Oh, the humanity! How awful is a life when one must choose between paper or pay a whopping $0.99 for a reusable grocery bag. Clearly, some members of the Baby Boomer generation just don’t get it. While it’s true that this event isn’t going to save the world, it will make a much needed difference.

Miami’s Contribution

Miami has joined forces with Chicago, New York, Atlanta, Phoenix and dozens of other American cities participating in Earth Hour. The sunny city’s mayor/environmental watchdog, Manny Diaz, decided to sign up Miami to the global hour-long effort. His hopes are that residents will “flick off” for that one hour on the 29th. Ideally, the experiment will foster a new routine citywide of turning out the lights after 9pm. Since this will be a first for Miami, it is still to be seen exactly how effective the exercise will be. With our planet wheezing like Lindsay Lohan in the sack, every effort counts, no matter how small.
The whole Miami downtown core will be dimming down for the hour. Please don’t panic and call the police or have nightmares about terrorists. It’s all over love for our planet and helping it to become healthy again. The Bank of America is shutting off its vibrant floodlights but the essentials, like traffic lights, will remain on. Diaz hopes to raise consciousness in Miami’s citizens and at the very least have them turn off their lights when they’re not using them. Like I said before, it’s the baby steps that matter.