CHICAGO — From an Antarctic research base and the Great Pyramids of Egypt to the Empire State Building in New York, illuminated patches of the globe went dark Saturday for Earth Hour, a campaign to highlight the threat of climate change.
Time zone by time zone, nearly 4,000 cities and towns in 88 countries joined the event sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund to dim non-essential lights from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. The campaign began in Australia in 2007 and last year grew to 400 cities.
“Earth Hour has always been a positive campaign,” said Earth Hour executive director Andy Ridley. “It’s always around street parties, not street protests; it’s the idea of hope, not despair.”
Crowds in Times Square watched as many of the massive billboards darkened. Officials planned to flip a 4-foot-tall, mock light switch in Chicago, where more than 200 buildings pledged to go dark. In San Francisco, lights on landmarks like the Golden Gate Bridge were set to be turned off.
In Denver, the state Capitol complex and five municipal buildings, including the City and County Building and the Webb Building, were dimmed, as was the Qwest Tower at 18th and California streets. Molson-Coors brewery and headquarters dimmed its non-essential lights.
Other Colorado cities participating included Boulder, Commerce City, Fort Collins, Silverthorne and Westminster.
