Earth Hour, the climate change awareness and action initiative which started in Sydney in 2007, is on again this Saturday night and residents of Port Douglas and beyond are being urged to switch off their lights and switch on to a sustainable future.

Between 8.30pm and 9.30pm on Saturday, people from more than 4000 cities in at least 128 countries will join in the chorus of voices calling for stronger action on climate change.

WATCH AL GORE'S EXPLANATION OF THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE (top left)
 
Cairns Regional Council Mayor Val Schier said this year’s Earth Hour would focus on the international theme of going beyond the hour and “changing the way we live”.
 
“Many of us have already experienced loss of power from Cyclone Yasi,” Cr Schier said. “So our aim this year is to take the next step and go beyond simply turning off the lights from 8.30pm to 9.30pm on Saturday night.
 
“We ask residents and their families to take up the challenge and come to our Earth Hour display (at Stockland Earlville from 9am to 12 noon) to fill out a sustainability pledge that will last the whole year.”
 
World Wildlife Fund introduced the concept of Earth Hour which has since grown to become the world’s largest community-driven campaign for the planet.

Australians are the biggest emitters of carbon dioxide on the planet per head of population.