If you care about Mother Earth and would like to make a stand against Global Warming then mark this date in your diary now – March 28th 2009.  At 8.30pm, all you need to do is switch off your lights for 60 minutes. Whatever you do in those 60 minutes is up to you.  I would have just finished (cross thumbs) the Cape Epic and will most definitely be in bed by then – my lights will be out in more ways than one so I’ll be a cracker of a participant. But if it were any other situation I would be kicking back with a glass of Rose reflecting on Mother Earth.

The campaign has been named Earth Hour and is an initiative by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to make a statement against Global Warming. Your participation is counted as a vote for Earth so if you are planning on taking part, visit VOTE EARTH and sign up so that they can count your vote. Even Helen Zille is taking part by switching off the lights that illuminate Table Mountain.

The campaign started in Sydney Australia in 2007 when 2.2 million homes and businesses switched off their lights for one hour. In 2008, approximately 50 million people from around the world took part in Earth Hour by switching off their lights. Iconic landmarks ranging from the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco to the Colosseum in Rome even stood in darkness.

This year, Earth Hour is thinking big, with the goal of having 1 billion people taking part to make a global vote. Over 74 countries have pledged their support to VOTE EARTH during Earth Hour 2009, and this number is growing everyday. So my fellow South Africans, visit http://www.voteearth2009.org today and see how you can become involved in this worldwide environmental campaign.

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