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.

Canada is leading the Earth Hour effort with an unprecedented amount of supporters. If there was ever a time to be nationalistic, it’s now.

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 changes 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 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.

Toronto Leads the Pack in Canada

While Vancouver, Montreal, Ottawa and dozens of other Canadian cities have signed on to help, Toronto has the distinction of being the leading Canadian city participating in Earth Hour. The Toronto Star and Virgin Mobile have teamed up with the City of Toronto to create an event that will shine in the hearts of many, although only figuratively. Many landmarks in the Big Smoke will be dimming down; Yonge-Dundas Square, City Hall, Honest Ed’s, OCAD, and the CN Tower are just the tip of the iceberg. Incidentally, let’s hope that Yonge-Dundas Square will do us all a favor and never turn its garish lights back on again.

The City also hopes to have a million people participate in the event, especially those in residential areas. While buildings in the downtown core obviously use a lot of energy, 25 percent of energy requirements for the city come from those used to light and heat homes, so doing your part can make a big difference.

Despite Toronto's flagship role in Earth Hour, other Canadian cities need not grow green with envy. Instead, we can celebrate the fact that Canada is leading the Earth Hour effort with an unprecedented amount of supporters. Even Australia, the country which pioneered the event, and the US (which has ten times the population of Canada) are lagging behind us Canucks. If there was ever a time to be nationalistic, it’s now.