You would be forgiven for thinking that the terrifying reality of a disaster movie is playing out across the world. Lights go out round the globe: the Sydney Opera House, Taipei 101, the Great Pyramids, the Eiffel Tower, the London Eye, the Empire State Building, the Las Vegas Strip, all in turn are plunged into darkness.

But what you will be witnessing is not a global catastrophe, but a worldwide show of solidarity for WWF‘s Earth hour.

From Australia to America and Europe to Asia on Saturday 27 March 2010 at 8.30pm, over 1,100 cities and towns across the globe will switch off their lights for one hour to show they care about climate change.

Last year 88 countries got involved in the initiative and with 2010 seeing more than 91 countries taking part, a ripple will cross the Earth as many of the world‘s most iconic landmarks in 25 different time zones switch off.

UK landmarks pledging to switch off their lights include Piccadilly Circus and the London Eye, which will be dimming its lights for Earth Hour.

Other famous buildings involved include the Royal Albert Hall, Manchester’s Trafford Centre, Stormont, Inverness Castle, Wales Millennium Stadium and Portsmouth’s Spinnaker Tower. Companies supporting the event include M&S, Coca-Cola and Ikea.

The increased awareness of climate change is shown through the range of countries that have signed up to the campaign.

Countries and regions involved for the first time include the remote island nation of Madagascar, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, Mongolia, Cambodia, Czech Republic, Paraguay, Ecuador and the US Commonwealth of the Northern Marina Islands in the Pacific Ocean.

“This years Earth Hour hopes to attract some one billion people”, said Colin Butfield, Head of Campaigns at WWF-UK.

“By signing up to switch off their lights, individuals, businesses, towns and cities can join a global phenomenon and show world leaders that we care about climate change.”

WWF CAMPAIGNS TO STOP CLIMATE CHANGE – BECOME A MEMBER TODAY