Earth Hour 2009

Started in Sydney, Australia in 2007, Earth Hour quickly grew into a global observance. More than 1,000 cities in over 80 countries observed Earth Hour 2009 on Saturday March 28th, as homes, office towers and landmarks turned off their lights for an hour starting at 8.30 pm local time to raise awareness about climate change and the threat from rising greenhouse gas emissions. Collected here are a series of before-and-after photographs - which (starting with the second one below) will fade between "on" and "off" when clicked. Let me state that again, since I know not everyone reads the whole intro here - starting with image #2 below, click on the image to see an animated fade between "on" and "off". This effect requires javascript to be enabled. (17 photos total)

A combination of handout pictures shows a view of the Taipei 101 building before and after (L-R) Earth Hour in Taipei March 28, 2009. More than 80 countries have signed up for Earth Hour on Saturday in which homes, office towers and landmarks will turn off their lights from 8.30 pm local time to raise awareness about climate change and the threat from rising greenhouse gas emissions. (REUTERS/Taipei 101/Handout)

Hong Kong's financial district's Bank of China Tower, Cheung Kong Centre, HSBC headquarters, Standard Chartered Bank and Legislative Council before during Earth Hour March 28, 2009. [click image to see it fade] (REUTERS/Bobby Yip) #

A view of the hill of the Acropolis during Earth Hour in Athens, Greece March 28, 2009. [click image to see it fade] (REUTERS/Yiorgos Karahalis) #

The Beijing Olympic swimming pool, better known as the "Water Cube" goes dark to observe the call to turn off non-essential lighting for one hour for climate change during World Wildlife Fund's Earth Hour in Beijing on March 28, 2009. [click image to see it fade] (STR/AFP/Getty Images) #

The skyline of downtown Toronto before and after Earth Hour on Saturday, March 28, 2009. [click image to see it fade] (AP Photo/THE CANADIAN PRESS - Darren Calabrese) #

Rome's ancient Colosseum seen during Earth Hour in Rome, Italy on March 28, 2009. [click image to see it fade] (REUTERS/Alessia Pierdomenico) #

The Sydney Opera House taken before and during Earth Hour in Sydney, Australia, on Saturday, March 28, 2009. [click image to see it fade] (Jack Atley/Bloomberg News) #

The Bund on the banks of the Huangpu River in Shanghai, China before and during Earth Hour on March 28, 2009. [click image to see it fade] (REUTERS/Aly Song) #

The Bangkok skyline in Thailand, before and during Earth Hour March 28, 2009. [click image to see it fade] (REUTERS/Sukree Sukplang) #

The Eiffel Tower before and during Earth Hour in Paris, France on March 28, 2009. [click image to see it fade] (REUTERS/Benoit Tessier) #

The Ericsson Globe Arena, seen during Earth Hour in Stockholm, Sweden March 28, 2009. [click image to see it fade] (REUTERS/Anders Wiklund/Scanpix Sweden) #

The Houses of Parliament in central London, moments before the lights are turned off to mark "Earth Hour", and as the lights are turned off, on March 28, 2009. [click image to see it fade] (Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images) #

Lausanne's cathedral before and after its lights were switched off, on March 28, 2009 in Lausanne, Switzerland as part of the "Earth Hour" campaign. [click image to see it fade] (FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/Getty Images) #

The main square in downtown Lima, Peru before and during Earth Hour March 28, 2009. [click image to see it fade] (REUTERS/Pilar Olivares) #

Lights are turned off at 8:30pm at Nokia Plaza at the LA Live entertainment complex in downtown Los Angeles, California on March 28, 2009 during a celebration to mark Earth Hour. [click image to see it fade] (ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images) #

Photographs taken before and after the lights at the main roundabout at the main business district are turned off during Earth Hour in Jakarta, Indonesia, Saturday, March 28, 2009. [click image to see it fade] (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara) #

Lights on the Las Vegas Strip are viewed looking northbound from the Mandalay Bay Resort during "Earth Hour" in Las Vegas, Nevada March 28, 2009. [click image to see it fade] (REUTERS/Steve Marcus) #