By Samantha Hayes
Last year 1.5 million New Zealanders took part and this year the conservation group WWF is hoping there will be many more.
For the fourth year running it is asking people to switch off their lights for Earth Hour and remind the Government they want action on climate change.
Auckland is one of 47 New Zealand cities signed up to the Earth Hour cause; as in previous years, the Skytower will power down at 8.30 tonight for an hour, as will Wellington's Beehive, followed by landmarks around the world like the Pyramids, the Colosseum and the Eiffel Tower.
But it's the light switch at your place that WWF is really hoping will be getting the flick.
“We're asking people to turn off their lights because climate change is one of the biggest issues facing the world today,” says WWF executive director Chris Howe.
WWF says after the disappointment of the Copenhagen talks, people need to remind leaders they want action.
“The Earth Hour thing is a real reminder for us to say, ‘look, even if you don't believe whole heartedly in climate change, the fact of the matter is that the world's resources are finite and these sorts of things are sustainable and really good to do’,” says Earth Hour ambassador Wallace Chapman.
Last year, more than 4,000 cities around the world participated – according to a Colmar Brunton poll; 1.5 million New Zealanders took part and power consumption dipped by 3.5 percent.
But not everyone will be switching off.
“Earth hour sucks,” says Rick Giles, an Earth Hour critic.
The climate change movement took a big hit in December last year when politicians from 193 countries failed to make any major progress on the issue.
Tonight's light switch "vote" will be a global gauge if people are feeling apathetic – or want action.
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