Earth Hour Tonight - 8:30

Earth Hour is annual call for people across the world to gather their community around the simple act of turning off the lights for one hour. It began a 2007 in Sydney, Australia and it has become a world wide sensation. Each year the event has grown larger and more MWs of electricity have been turned off in display reaffirming to notion that lots of small actions can have a tremendous impact. Tonight it continues at 8:30 PM local time.

Here's a quote from Illinois Governor Pat Quinn on being a state sponsor:

By turning out our lights for an hour on March 27, the people of Illinois will show our commitment to fighting light pollution. Earth Hour highlights the importance of conserving energy and protecting our environment for future generations.

To watch a slideshow of images taken March 27 at 8:30 PM from around the world click here.

Check out the 2010 Earth Hour video below: