C.R. to Turn Out The Lights This Year

San José will turn out the lights in a couple of months as it joins a global campaign to reverse climate change.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is organizing an international effort to turn out the lights in major cities around the world next year to save electricity and raise awareness about global climate change.

In 2008, more than 50 million people in 400 cities shut off their lights for an hour, with major landmarks such as the Sydney Opera House in Australia, the Coliseum in Rome, and the Empire State Building, Sears Tower and Golden Gate Bridge in the United States all joining in, according to a statement from WWF.

The 2009 Earth Hour, as the event is called, will take place March 28 at 8:30 pm, with the cooperation of Costa Rica’s Environment, Energy and Telecommunications Ministry and the San José municipality, the WWF said.

The first Earth Hour was in Sydney in 2007, when 2.2 million participated.

Organizers hope to see 1 billion people participate in 2009.