Lights out: Earth Hour is Saturday night

When it comes to protecting the planet, turning off the lights seems like an incredibly small gesture but once again the organizers of Earth Hour are hoping the flicks of switches performed en masse will send a powerful message.

People around the world are being encouraged to turn off their lights on Saturday evening between 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. in a global stand against activities that contribute to climate change.

There are a number of events planned to mark the event in and around Toronto, including one in the Distillery District.

The first Earth Hour happened in 2007 and was organized by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in Australia. The event grew the following year with dozens of other nations taking part. By 2011, 135 countries participated.

This year, WWF launched the “I Will If You Will” campaign to accompany its Earth Hour event. The YouTube campaign is aimed at getting people to complete dares in exchange for people committing to environmentally-friendly practices.

Organizers have also unveiled a new Earth Hour anthem, composed by Andrew Huang with lyrics submitted by supporters.

Click here for more information.

City officials are reminding the public to take precautions if using candles, and take these fire safety tips:

• Always stay in the room where candles are lit.
• Extinguish all candles when leaving the room, especially when going to sleep.
• Don’t use candles in bedrooms.
• Keep candles at least one metre away from anything that can burn.
• Keep candles, matches and lighters hidden and out of the reach of children and pets.
• Use sturdy candle holders that won’t tip or burn. Those with glass shades or chimneys are safer.
• Extinguish candles when they burn to within five centimetres of their holder.
• Make sure that you have working smoke alarms on every storey of your home.
• Practice your home fire escape plan.

Some Earth Hour events in the GTA:

• In Toronto, WWF Canada will be holding an Earth Hour event at the Distillery Historic District from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. The Team Earth Hour anthem will be performed live for the first time. Composer Andrew Huang wrote the song, using lyrics submitted by Canadians on WWF Canada’s Facebook page.

• Halton Regional Police Service said it will take part by turning off its lights for an hour in non-essential, non-emergency administrative areas. However, it said public safety and police emergency response services “will not be compromised or affected in any way.”

• The Toronto District School Board and the Toronto Catholic District School Board will participate in Earth Hour on March 30-31. On March 30, between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m., schools are asked to “turn off lights where it is safe to do so, and where it will not adversely disrupt the normal classroom teaching,” at TCDSB. On March 31, between 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., all non-essential lighting will be turned off in TCDSB schools. On March 30 TDSB schools and offices will use as little electricity as possible between 2 and 3 p.m.