Go Dark: Celebrate 'Earth Hour' in Belmont Saturday Night

Lights out, Belmont.

Tomorrow, Saturday, March 23, residents can join millions of people and hundreds of communities in 135 countries around the world by switching off all non-essential lights in their homes and businesses for an hour beginning at 8:30 p.m. as part of Earth Hour. 

And you'll be in good company. Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge, The Tokyo Tower, the Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul, the Kremlin and Red Square in Moscow, the statue of David in Florence, The Eiffel Tower, Berlin's Brandenburg Gate, The Little Mermaid statue in Copenhagen, The Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace and The Empire State Building are some of the worldwide landmarks which will be going dark Saturday.

On Monday, March 18, the Belmont Board of Selectmen voiced their support for the "biggest grass-roots environmental movement on the planet," according to co-founder Andy Ridley, the Austrailian who began Earth Hour seven years ago in Sydney. 

Nearby in neighboring Cambridge, the city will be turning off non-essential lights for the hour and encouraging residents and businesses to do the same while Lexington's Element Hotel lobby will transition to candlelight. 

While the symbolism of a dark world without sustainable resources is one aspect of the campaign, Earth Hour aims to encourage "an interconnected global community to share the opportunities and challenges of creating a sustainable world," according to Ridley.

"Earth Hour asks everyone to take personal accountability for their impact on the planet and make behavioural changes to facilitate a sustainable lifestyle. Taking the first step is as easy as turning off your lights. By switching off your lights for Earth Hour you are acknowledging and celebrating your commitment to do something more for the planet that goes beyond the hour," said Ridley.