During Earth Hour, Asian skyscrapers and the Eiffel Tower were turned off

Sydney/London - The Eiffel Tower, skyscrapers in Hong Kong, and Buckingham Palace in London turned off their lights yesterday to join thousands of other buildings worldwide in Earth Hour. During this event, at 8:30 PM local time, the lights of significant landmarks and other structures are turned off in an effort to raise awareness about climate change and the need for energy conservation.

Among the first to plunge into darkness was the iconic Sydney Opera House in Australia. Then, skyscrapers in eastern Asian cities started to turn off their lights, including the HSBC and Bank of China towers in Hong Kong and the tallest building in Taiwan.

In Europe, alongside buildings in Britain and France, the Acropolis in Athens and the Greek parliament buildings and Athens City Hall also joined the initiative. However, the call from the leadership of the Greek capital for households in Athens to participate in Earth Hour and turn off their lights was reportedly largely ignored, according to the AP agency.

In Poland, the Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw, several churches, and the city walls in the Polish capital also went dark.

In the Czech Republic, several dozen smaller municipalities participated by turning off their public lighting. Some cities also turned off the lights of their churches for an hour.

Only after midnight CET, due to the time difference, some buildings in the United States, including the famous Empire State Building in New York, joined the event. The statue of Christ in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, will also be without light for an hour.