More than 150 countries and territories respond to Earth Hour 2013

This year, more than 150 countries and territories have confirmed their participation in turning off the lights from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on March 23, local time. In Vietnam, many activities in response to Earth Hour are also taking place very bustlingly.

The Houses of Parliament, London, UK turned off the lights in response to Earth Hour on March 31, 2012.

Last year, some 5,000 cities and towns in 147 countries and territories turned off their lights for Earth Hour. This year, that number has increased to more than 150 countries, with Palestine, Tunisia, the Galapagos, Suriname, French Guyana, St Helena and Rwanda joining the energy-saving campaign for the first time.

According to the Guardian, most of the world's famous landmarks and buildings continue to respond to Earth Hour this year, including the Sydney Opera House and Harbor Bridge, Australia; the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur; the Bird's Nest Stadium, Beijing, China; the Eiffel Tower, France; the Brandenburg Gate, Germany; and Table Mountain, South Africa.

In Tunisia, the country participating in Earth Hour 2013 for the first time, the lights will be turned off for 1 hour in 11 cities and towns. The event will be held at the central Avenue Habib Bourguiba in the capital Tunis, Tunisia, with the presence of Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki.

Campaign co-founder, Earth Hour Executive Director Andy Ridley, emphasized the nature of participating in Earth Hour: “Earth Hour is the lifeblood of the global community, connecting social classes from all countries around the world, helping people raise awareness about environmental protection and climate change, towards a better future.”

Earth Hour campaign was first carried out in the citySydney, Australia in 2007.

According to Tuoitre-M