Earth Hour began in Sidney, Australia, in 2007. By turning off their lights for one hour one Saturday night close to the Spring equinox, some 2.2 million Sidney-siders and 2000 businesses showed their awareness of climate change and their commitment to combating it. In 2008, the organisers hoped to observe the same ‘Earth Hour’ throughout Australia but then the City of Toronto decided to follow suit and soon the event had gone global. Last year hundreds of millions of people across 135 countries switched off for one hour. This year, as last year, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions are participating by turning as many lights off as possible not just for one hour but for the whole weekend. So, if you pass by and notice the darkened buildings you’ll know why. And if you want to participate yourself, it’s tonight, at 20.30, for one hour. We can all make a difference if we want.