Earth Hour is 8:30-9:30 p.m. Saturday --- Who's up for it?

Jeff Kart By Jeff Kart
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on March 26, 2010 at 9:56 AM, updated March 26, 2010 at 10:00 AM
TALL SHIPS NIGHT SHOTPT.jpgThe Bay City riverfront lit up during the Tall Ship Celebration in 2003.

Earth Hour is billed as the world's largest climate action project. How much of a difference does it make? People will be asked to turn off their lights from 8:30-9:30 p.m. on Saturday, and spend a little time in the dark, to bring awareness to global climate change.

Some criticize The Hour as being too short. There's already Earth Day on April 22, which should probably be celebrated every day.

Last year, hundreds of millions of people from 88 countries celebrated Earth Hour with their light switches.

Michigan is an official Earth Hour state. Cities that have signed on include Ann Arbor, Gladstone, Lansing and Escanaba. But individuals from places including Midland and Grayling have signed the pledge.

Will you be participating this year? Talking to your kids about energy conservation? Or not, and why?

The event, organized by the World Wildlife Fund, is super social this year, with a presence on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Flickr. Just make sure you're not surfing when the lights are supposed to be out. Does a charged-up smartphone count?