On Saturday night from 8:30-9:30 p.m., some of the world's most iconic landmarks faded to black in honor of the annual world movement known as Earth Hour.

Earth Hour is a worldwide tradition organized by the World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF) that symbolizes the commitment to our planet. The innovative movement fuels the global initiative to raise awareness of energy use and conservation.

Earth hour takes place each year on the last Saturday in March and originally started in 2007. Sydney, Australia is the first country to participate in the famous lights-off event. Since its debut in 2007, the 60-minute movement has grown to 7,000 cities and towns worldwide. Participants of Earth Hour are asked to take time to consider the current state of the Earth's environment.

The "hour of darkness," as it's been nicknamed, featured many of the world's greatest landmarks as its supporters. The landmarks were China's Birds Nest Stadium, the Great Wall of China, pyramids in Egypt, the Eiffel Tower, and Big Ben.

In the U.S., the lights-off participants included Las Vegas' strip, San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, the Willis Tower in Chicago, the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., the Space Needle in Seattle, and New York City's Chrysler Building and Empire State Building in New York City, according to CBS New York.

As Earth Hour continues to trend among countries worldwide, its benefits and positive impact on the world continue to be recognized.

According to PowerStream's System Control Centre reports, the 2014 movement represented a total energy savings of 48.9 megawatts. That is enough electricity to power 1,480 average-size homes for 24 hours!

"In the last 18 months there have been more solar panels installed in the United States than in the previous 30 years," Keya Chatterjee of the World Wildlife Fund stated. "So we're seeing a real trend."

Next year's Earth Hour will take place on Saturday, March 29 at 8:30 p.m. Will you participate?

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