When the world went dark...

Khalidoscope joins Earth Hour the small idea that became a global phenomenon from Sydney

When the world went dark...

Khalidoscope joins Earth Hour the small idea that became a global phenomenon from Sydney

An estimated 2.2 million homes and businesses in Sydney, the city that pioneered the concept of Earth Hour two years ago, joined an estimated 1 billion people in 83 countries around the world with typical unabashed enthusiasm on Saturday night.

With India also joining the impressive list of countries that participated, it is being claimed that up to one in seven people around the world flicked the switch for the good of the planet.

Lights in the wonders of the ancient and modern world such as the Great Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx in Egypt, the Acropolis in Greece, Rome's Collosseum, San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, New York's Empire State Building, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Beijing's Bird's Nest Olympic Stadium, the giant statue of Christ
the Redeemer on Rio de Janeiro's Corcovado Mountain and the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur were dimmed along with Sydney's iconic Opera House.

At 8.30 pm, the luxury liner "Millennium" berthed in the Sydney harbour, and ferries sounded their horns as people gathered by candlelight, torchlight and starlight in homes, hotels, bars, restaurants, in parks, fields and beaches to observe the small idea that has become a global phenomenon.

In scenes reminiscent of Sydney's famous New Year's eve, people counted down the seconds, then cheered and gasped as floodlights were switched off on the landmark Harbour Bridge, the Opera House and other landmarks, commercial towers and residential homes in and around the city.

The Sydney Observatory attracted large crowds for the rare opportunity to see the night sky over the city in relative darkness, while hundreds camped on an island in the harbour, even as others observed the moment silently and others partied lustily.

A Sydney social worker and his bride performed the bridal waltz by candlelight as their guests stood around them holding candles.

The couple had chosen Earth Hour to celebrate their marriage.

Steve and new bride Helena said, "We are recycling everything, all the bottles, and we haven't used confetti. We did not have a wedding booklet."

Organisers in Australia said what was important was that the message of the Hour was sent from all over the world to leaders who will meet in Copenhagen in December to discuss urgent global action on the critical issue.
United Nations General Secretary Ban ki-Moon said Earth Hour was a way the citizens of the world could send a clear message that they demand action on climate change.