If the mood lighting in downtown Manhattan seems a bit more romantic than usual on March 28th, you can thank the organizers of Earth Hour. Starting at 8:30pm, the Big Apple will join 1,000 cities around the world in turning off or dimming the lights to draw attention to climate change.

“This will be a pivotal year in the future of our planet as we look to Congress, President Obama and global leaders to take immediate and decisive action on climate change,” said Carter Roberts, CEO of World Wildlife Fund. “Having New York City go dark for Earth Hour will send a powerful message to the world that the U.S. is ready to assume a leadership position in solving one of the most serious challenges facing our planet today. By turning out the lights, the people of New York City will be casting a vote in support of the future of the Earth.”

Landmarks in NYC that will hit the lights on the 28th include: Empire State Building, Citigroup Center, Coca-Cola Billboard in Times Square, New York Life, Time Warner Center, The New York Public Library, 7 World Trade Center and the other Silverstein Properties buildings, The Helmsley Building and other Monday Properties buildings, and the Grand Hyatt New York. Not to mention the businesses and people that will also participate in switching off.

Granted, NYC had it’s own version of lights out back in 2003 — for many, many hours. But this one will be a bit more fun without wondering what the hell is going on. For more details, hit the official site here.

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About Michael dEstries

Michael has been blogging since 2005 on issues such as sustainability, renewable energy, philanthropy, and healthy living. He regularly contributes to a slew of publications, as well as consulting with companies looking to make an impact using the web and social media. He lives in Ithaca, NY with his family on an apple farm.

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