Sydney landmarks go dark for Earth Hour
First major city turns out lights at start of global awareness campaign
This combo picture shows the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House illuminated by lights, top, then seen with the lights turned off on Saturday evening.
SYDNEY, Australia - Sydney’s iconic Opera House and Harbour Bridge went dark Saturday night as the world’s first major city turned off its lights for this year’s Earth Hour, a global campaign to raise awareness of climate change.
The lights on the arch of Harbour Bridge were turned off at 8 p.m., followed shortly by the shells of the Opera House and other city landmarks. Most businesses and homes were already dark as Sydney residents embraced their second annual Earth Hour with candlelight dinners, beach bonfires and even a green-powered outdoor movie.
The city was noticeably darker, though not completely blacked out. The business district was mostly dark; organizers said 250 of the 350 commercial buildings there had pledged to shut off their lights completely.
