JOIN USOrganised by the World Wide Fund (WWF), the lights-off will be the biggest single mobilisation against global warming.
India will be observing the Earth Hour for the third consecutive year this time.
The campaign message this year is to go beyond the hour and commit oneself to a more sustainable way of living everyday, and not just for an hour, the WWF said. Earth Hour 2011 marks the start of a new phase for the movement, which is also reflected in the new "60+" logo, representing a commitment to add a positive act for the planet.
“It is heartening to receive such tremendous support from across the country. We are now hoping to multiply the initiative across the social spectrum and reach out to governments, organisations, and individuals, especially the youth across the country,” Ravi Singh, secretary general and chief executive of WWF-India, said Tuesday.
Singh added: "It is inspiring to see how a simple step as switching off lights for an hour can unite the entire country towards a single cause. The campaign has received unprecedented support in the previous years and we intend to make it stronger every year." The mobilisation for Earth Hour 2011 has already begun.
The website (www.earthhour.in) will provide information and suggestions on various steps to reduce an individual's or an organisation's carbon footprint. Over 100 cyclists in the capital had taken part in the Earth Hour cylcothon Sunday.
India joined the Earth Hour campaign in 2009 by committing the support of two cities - Delhi and Mumbai - but finally almost 56 cities supported it. During Earth Hour 2010, more than five million people in India switched off lights.
Popular landmarks like the India Gate, the Qutub Minar, Red Fort and the Gateway of India in Delhi, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Mumbai, national defence establishments, universities, hotels, cinema complexes and shopping malls across the nation participated in the event.