She sat on her sofa, a faint light emanating from a white candle burning beside her. Like the previous year, she wondered whether she could last a bit longer than an hour with the electricity and appliances turned off. Last year on March 31, she and her family had turned off the power for more than an hour.

The house was quiet. Nobody was talking or reading, and there was nothing to watch on the blank TV.

Gently picking up the candle, she walked towards the window. It was dark outside. She felt different while gazing at the stars by candlelight. She believed she was experiencing the nocturnal environment as nature intended.

Some residents did not turn off their lights. She believes by next year she will convince her neighbors to turn their lights off. She is determined to raise more awareness about Earth Hour and how important it is to be part of making change.

“It is very important to be part of environmental movements as we know that global warming is a great threat to us. I told my teacher and classmates at school to turn the lights off on the 29th” says 14 year old Jenna Tookey, a year 9 school girl from South Granville Public School and a member of the Granville Youth and Community Recreation Centre.

This year, the Parramatta City Council got involved by supporting Earth Hour. Many residents and businesses in the Parramatta city area have rallied behind Earth Hour to reduce global warming by turning their lights off for one hour.

“I am passionate about our environment and making sure we all do our part locally to reduce our carbon footprint,” says Parramatta City Lord Mayor Paul Barber. “Earth Hour demonstrates how everyone can make a difference at home and at work just by making small changes.

“Earth Hour was from 8 – 9pm on Saturday night, however Council switched off all non-essential lights and electrical equipment for the entire Earth Hour weekend. Last year we achieved an overall energy reduction of 39 per cent in our administration building” says Cr Barber.

According to WWF-Australia, on 31 March last year, in Sydney, 2.2 million people and 2100 businesses turned off their lights between 7:30pm to 8:30pm to support the Earth Hour. It anticipated energy savings and droppages of 24.86 tonnes of carbon dioxide - the equivalent of taking 48,613 cars off the road for one hour.

Parramatta City Council is one of the many city councils in Sydney that manage to be part of Earth Hour by encouraging the businesses and residents in the area to get on board.

“More than 70 businesses took part this year”, says Heidi Gray, the spokesperson for Parramatta City Council.

Although each resident makes only a small, and hardly noticeable saving, it makes a big difference when many people switch off their lights, computers, TV’s and other household appliances. 1 million residents will save 1 million hours and it will save the equivalent of over 144 residents’ electricity bills for the whole year.

Earth Hour which began in Sydney last year has achieved worldwide support. People in many major cities around the world get involved, helping to reduce the threat of global warming by turning off their lights.

“Powering down a city’s skyline and some of the world’s most iconic structures and premier properties is a highly calculated and intricate process, and allowances need to be made to account for safety,” says Andy Ridley, executive director for Earth Hour.

“What makes Earth Hour a unique event is that it brings together governments, businesses and householders who all play a part in switching off the lights. Working together, individual households alongside the world’s most magnificent iconic landmarks can make an impact in the fight against climate change,” says Ridley.

Prior to Earth Hour, more than 30 million people and more than 3500 businesses around the world signed up on Earth Hour’s website.

But the participant number has jumped up sharply. According to Earth Hour Australia chief executive Greg Bourne, more than 100 million people from 370 cities and municipalities in 35 nations took part in Earth Hour.

For Sydneysiders, Earth Hour is a romantic opportunity for weddings and other special occasions such as parties by candlelight. Some had special dinners at the Intercontinental Hotel while others hosted parties at home with friends.

“You help tackle global warming and you have fun with candlelight,” says Bonnie Hittmann, Community Development Worker of Parramatta City Council. “We had a candlelight party. It was fun, and you feel like you’re living in a more classical period.”

Parramatta City Lord Mayor Paul Barber raised funds for WWF-Australia and organizers of Earth Hour by hosting a candle-lit dinner at El-Phoenician with members of the business community and volunteer sector to support Earth Hour.

Earth Hour can create new experiences for some restaurants and cafés. Mars Hill Café is a business in the Parramatta city area that supports Earth Hour. The artworks displayed inside, illuminated by the soft glow of candles, attracted the attention of numerous customers. “Each customer felt the glorious atmosphere as they stepped into the Café,” says Kevin Crouse, Café Manager.

Prior to Earth Hour, Parramatta City Council raised awareness about turning off lights on 29 March by organizing a community event for kids, teenagers and adults at Granville Youth and Community Recreation Centre.

“It is important to remind the residents. Although the residents may have heard about Earth Hour on the news, sometimes people plan to turn off their lights but they forgot to do that or sometimes they do not remember what time Earth Hour will take place, so we helped create awareness amongst residents,” says Karen Kirk, Environmental Project Officer of Parramatta City Council.

“My husband and I enjoy being in darkness at home. It’s an amazing experience when you stay in the dark without TV. You don’t get the chance to do that very often,” says Kirk.

Different people have different ideas for enjoying the magnificent experience of total darkness.

Danica Sajan, Environment Educational Officer of Parramatta City Council, said “last year I stayed outside and read a book by candlelight but I tried something different this year and went for a walk under the stars.”

For Jenna Tookey, to be part of Earth Hour is important. “When you get on board, it means you are sending a message that you care about climate change” she says.

Tookey is thrilled to be a part of Earth Hour. She is among the teenagers who are actively involved in Earth Hour, raising awareness with her neighbors and classmates by encouraging them to turn their lights off during Earth Hour. She believes that small actions can help make big change. Therefore, she has never forgotten to turn off the lights since Earth Hour emerged.

She realises that people need more information and education about Earth Hour, that they need to be informed, so that more people will get on board. She may be the one who convinces her neighbors, friends and classmates to get involved next year.