Christchurch - 8pm March 29, 2008

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People on the streets don’t need telling – the citizens of Christchurch, New Zealand, are well aware that today is the day. At 8pm (along with Suva, Fiji) Christchurch will lead the world, in being the first to switch-off, save energy and reduce emissions. The buildup has been huge – schools, businesses, and media have banded together to spread the word, and Earth Hour has been wholeheartedly taken on board.

As I’m typing this from across the road of Cathedral Square , in the centre of Christchurch, Earth Hour posters pop out of every available window space, and Earth Hour T-shirts wander up and down the streets, on people of every age. Onlookers watch with interest as a huge blowup screen is erected – ready to screen ‘the 11th Hour’ documentary tonight, after the clock chimes eight and lights across the town are shut off. Kids wave shyly at the Earth Hour Panda Bear wandering the streets. Older kids give him high-fives, and still older kids get pictures taken with him, on their cell phones. People chat with Earth Hour teams who now have possibly the easiest job in the world –‘do you know about Earth Hour?’ they ask – the answer comes back in the positive nine times out of ten, and they swap stories and ideas about how their Earth Hour evening will be spent. Candles feature highly.

Around the city dozens of businesses are preparing to treat their patrons to a special, environmentally friendly, Earth Hour experience, with any number of excellent ideas – candlelit dining, cabarets and acoustic concerts being just a few of these. Some hotels even prepare specials menus of organic, locally produced ingredients and carbon-neutral wine. The rest of NZ is not to be left out – for an hour, the iconic Sky tower in Auckland will cease to shine on the Auckland skyline, and the Wellington City Councilors will have to debate in the dark as our capital city dims landmark building’s lights.

The excitement from so many people has shaped Earth Hour into what I’m looking at around town today – a strong community event – families, celebrities, and entrepreneurs alike are looking forward to tonight’s celebrations, and the sense from the city is a group of people who are proud to enjoy a darker hour, for a brighter future.