Landmarks to switch off for Earth Hour

ISTANBUL

The Bosphorus and Fatih Sultan Mehmet bridges, Galata Tower and Dolmabahçe Palace are some of Istanbul’s most-recognizable landmarks that have previously been switched off to mark Earth Hour. The campaign, which encourages households, businesses and governments to turn off their lights for an hour to raise awareness of energy consumption, is now becoming a broader vehicle for green activism. This year, the Maiden’s Tower will also observe the event by switching off its lights on March 23 for one hour, along with the other great landmarks around the world, from the Sydney Harbor Bridge, Buckingham Palace and Brandenburg Gate to the Burj Khalifa tower, the Empire State Building, the Taj Mahal and Table Mountain.

The event is organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in Turkey and will take place between 8:30 and 9:30 p.m. of March 23 this year.

150 countries involved

Earth Hour originated in Sydney in 2007, with an appeal to people and businesses to turn off their lights for an hour to heighten awareness about climate change, driven by carbon-emitting fossil fuels. Besides Turkey, switch-off events on March 23 are planned in more than 150 countries.