On the last Saturday of March last year, landmarks across the world, from the Sydney Opera House in Australia to our very own Palace Pier, turned off their normally bright lights to mark Earth Hour.

The event, run by the WWF, began in Sydney in 2007 and by 2008 had become a global phenomenon, with 50 million people switching their lights off for an hour, not to cut carbon emissions (the results would be minimal), but to raise awareness of climate change and demand action be taken.

Today at 8.30pm, people and organisations in 1,429 cities and towns in 80 countries have committed to turn their lights off and the WWF are hoping to mobilise one billion people across the world.

Brighton Steiner School Students in class 7-8 (age 12-14) at Brighton Steiner School were looking for a charity to support with their teacher, Rachel Gatehouse, and felt Earth Hour and the WWF was one they could support the most.

Rachel says: “We’ve had students going to every class explaining what Earth Hour is about and putting up posters. Some are talking about having candlelight parties.”

Support has been overwhelmingly positive and even parents of the students have received a letter asking them to take part. What’s more, it has led to further action, with students taking an energy audit of the whole school in order to reduce its overall impact.

Rachel says: “The students are well versed in environmental matters and very ready to spread word about it. They’ve even signed themselves up to Earth Hour individually on the WWF website.”

Blue 2 Green Plumbing Chris Bowley, of Brighton-based Blue 2 Green plumbing, and his wife Jo are also getting in on the Earth Hour act.

Chris says: “I won’t be using any power tools at all throughout the day, only manual. I can’t see it being too tough – when I did my apprenticeship we didn’t have power tools.”

At home, the Bowley family, including their ten-year-old daughter and four-year-old son, will be cutting the power to everything, including the fridge.

It was Jo who first came across Earth Hour and signed them all up, but Chris is very firmly on board: “These events are definitely very good for raising awareness. I’m always saying to clients it’s amazing how much energy we waste. We’ve all got to do our bit.”

Torchlit health walk Brighton and Hove City Council’s Healthwalk team is running a torchlit walk from the Palace Pier to the West Pier to mark the event. Several primary schools are bringing their classes and participants are encouraged to bring a wind-up torch or lantern.

Health walk volunteer coordinator Darren Currell says: “It’s the first year we’ve done it so we’re not sure how many people we’re expecting, but it’s a good way of making the point walking is better for the environment than the car.”

Meet at 8pm by the Palace Pier, walk starts at 8.30pm to coincide with the pier’s big switch off.

The walk is free but participants are asked to donate £1 to the WWF.

More at www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/healthwalks.

  • Earth Hour begins at 8.30pm tonight. Visit www.earthhour.org.