Lights Out!

By Jonathan Copsey / STAFF

Who would have thought that turning off your lights could do so much?

This Saturday will be the third annual Earth Hour, an hour dedicated to turning off lights in support of action combating global warming. This year, just like last, Roswell will be taking part.

"I'm going to turn my lights off. And my TV and my radio," said Roswell's Mayor Jere Wood, an acknowledged nature fan. "I will be enjoying the beautiful spring evening on my front porch."

Roswell joined Earth Hour last year at the suggestion of Keep Roswell Beautiful, a community group dedicated to preserving Roswell's character. They made the request that the city take part and the government happily agreed.

Earth Hour began in Sydney, Australia in 2007 as a way to symbolize a need to cut back on energy, both for economic and environmental reasons. That first year, 2.2 million homes and businesses turned off their lights, including the famous Sydney Opera House.

Last year, an estimated 50 million people took part; the Golden State Bridge, Rome's Colosseum and the Coca-Cola billboard in Times Square all went dark for one hour.

Before and after: Atlanta turned off its lights during last year’s Earth Hour in support of action on global warming. This year, along with Atlanta and many cities around the world, Roswell will be joining in.

What can a family do without any lights? Roswell has put together a list of fun activities to keep you busy. * Play board games by candlelight * Play flashlight tag * Roast marshmallows on the fire * Tell ghost stories * Take a nap * Go for an evening nature walk * Read a book * Play 20 Questions * Play I Spy * Put together a puzzle * Camp in the back yard or even in the living room * Write a story or do a Mad Lib * Eat – stock up on snacks that don’t need cooking * Sit on your lawn and name the stars

This year, the organizers are trying something a little different. The World Wildlife Fund is aiming for the first "global election" with a target of 1 billion people "voting" in support of global warming legislation in advance of the Climate Change Conference held in Copenhagen later this year. Those with their lights off have voted to support a change, while those leaving their lights on like things the way they are.

More than 1500 cities and countries around the world have pledged their support of Earth Hour, with five Georgian cities joining the rest of the world; Atlanta, Valdosta, Forest Park, Decatur and our very own Roswell.

"Roswell has a long tradition of being an involved community and getting involved in organizations and institutions," said Wood. "This is our second year and I'm expecting us to do better [than last year]."

To take part in Earth Hour, turn off your lights and non-essential electronics Saturday March 28 from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. For more information on Earth Hour, visit www.earthhour.org.