Earth Hour in 2011

WWF’s Earth Hour kicked off in Fiji, then New Zealand and Australia, spreading eastward through the international time zones to Korea, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, India, United Arab Emirates, across Russia, Africa and Europe – and of course arriving in the UK in style at 8.30pm Saturday night.

Instantly recognisable landmarks across the world in darkness for the hour included the Eiffel Tower, the London Eye and Big Ben, Times Square, Dubai’s Burj al Arab hotel, Grenada’s Alhambra, Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer statue, Athens’ Acropolis, India Gate, Sheik Zayed Grand Mosque, the largest mosque in the United Arab Emirates, and the Sydney Opera House.

Check out the images of the switch-off as it spread across the world in 2011…

For Earth Hour 2011 in London, human energy lit up the Royal Albert Hall with images of endangered species including dolphins and tigers.  Television presenter Kirsty Gallacher led a WWF-UK team of 60 cyclists in one of the largest human-powered projections ever attempted in the UK.

The official countdown event in Scotland was at Edinburgh Castle. It was a night to remember, with musicians, fire jugglers and a piper.

In Wales a record amount of landmarks plunged into darkness – over 50 participated including Caernarfon Castle, Chapter Arts Centre in Cardiff, the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth, Newport’s Clock Tower, Swansea’s Civic Centre, the Senedd, St. Davids Hall & Cardiff County Hall.

Parliament Buildings, Stormont plunged into darkness for WWF Northern Ireland’s offical Earth Hour event.