Lights switched off for Earth Hour to raise awareness on climate change

In Sydney, the Opera House has gone dark. In New Delhi, the lights have gone off at the city's great arch. In Kuala Lumpur, darkness has fallen on the Petronas Towers.

Earth Hour lasts for just 60 minutes and its power is purely symbolic. But beginning at 8:30 p.m. local time, in countries around the world, people are switching off the lights in a global call for international unity on the importance of climate change.

Since beginning in Sydney in 2007, Earth Hour has spread to more than 180 countries, with tens of millions of people joining in, from turning off the porch lights to letting the Opera House go dark.

Those 60 minutes are "an opportunity to adopt a shifting of the consumption culture, and behavior change towards sustainability," Indian Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan said in a statement.

Boys with a painted number 60 on their faces, representing the 60 minutes of Earth Hour, are seen during Earth Hour outside a mall in Bacoor, Cavite city, south of Manila, Philippines March 24, 2018 (Reuters Photo)

The India Gate war memorial is pictured after the lights were turned off for Earth Hour in New Delhi, India, March 24, 2018 (Reuters Photo)

Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House are plunged into darkness for the Earth Hour environmental campaign on March 24, 2018 (AFP Photo)

People light candles after the building lights were switched off for the Earth Hour environmental campaign in Dubai on March 24, 2018 (AFP Photo)

A vendor sells light-up yoys in front of the Quezon Memorial Shrine after the switching off lights for the Earth Hour environmental campaign in Manila on March 24, 2018 (AFP Photo)

In this two photo combination picture, North Block, buildings that house India's seat of power, are seen lit, top, and then the same location in darkness when the lights are turned out for one hour to mark Earth Hour, in New Delhi, India, Saturday, March 24, 2018 (AP Photo)

n this two photo combination picture, the landmark India Gate monument is seen lit, top, and then the same location in darkness when the lights are turned out for one hour to mark Earth Hour, in New Delhi, India, Saturday, March 24, 2018 (AP Photo)

In this two photo combination picture, buildings that house India's seat of power are seen lit, top, and then the same location in darkness when the lights are turned out for one hour to mark Earth Hour, in New Delhi, India, Saturday, March 24, 2018 (AP Photo)

Many people, of course, barely notice. Around India Gate, New Delhi's monument to the Indian dead in World War I, thousands of people continued Saturday with the city's nightly warm-weather ritual. They bought ice cream and cheap plastic trinkets. They flirted. Young children rode in electric carts that their parents rented for a few minutes at a stretch.

But for an hour the arch stayed dark, a silent call for change.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo said 300 Paris buildings observed the blackout to send a "universal message."

Those 60 minutes are "an opportunity" to shift "the consumption culture and behavior change toward sustainability," Indian Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan said.

All this happens and yet many people, of course, barely notice.

Around India Gate, New Delhi's monument to the Indian dead in World War I, thousands embraced the city's nightly warm-weather ritual Saturday. They bought ice cream and cheap plastic trinkets. They flirted. Young children rode in electric carts that their parents rented for a few minutes at a stretch.

But for an hour the arch stayed dark, a silent call for change.

In Jordan, the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature arranged 11,440 candles on a hilltop in the capital of Amman, establishing a Guinness World Record for the largest candle mosaic.

The candles spelled the Earth Hour motto of "60+." However, attempts to light the candles largely failed because of wind on the hilltop, which is close to the city's landmark, the Amman Citadel.