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Celebrate Earth Hour Tonight By Switching Your Lights Off At 8:30 pm
Turn 'em out! (Photo by anniedaniel via the LAist Featured Photos pool)
Tonight the World Wide Fund for Nature is promoting Earth Hour, an annual event since 2007 that encourages people all around the globe to turn out all their non-essential lights for an hour to bring attention to climate change.
In Southern California, Earth Hour will be taking place from 8:30 until 9:30 pm. Of course you can easily participate at home, but you might notice that local agencies and businesses around town are doing the same thing. The pylons at LAX will be turning green and then powering down, and the Ferris Wheel at the Santa Monica pier will also go dark. Cities including Malibu, Pasadena, Hermosa Beach and others will be participating by shutting lights down. And yes, some places are offering drink specials for you to enjoy in the dark.
More than 7000 cities in over 150 countries are participating, and many famous landmarks are going dark, including the Statue of David in Florence, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Buckingham Palace in the UK and the Bird's Nest in Beijing. The founder of Earth Hour discussed the global event and how it's changed over the last six years:
Of course, it's worth noting that not everyone is a fan of the mostly symbolic gesture.
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
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