Tonight billions of people will be switching off for one hour, and all eight U.S. embassies in the Pacific region are collectively joining Earth hour by implementing energy saving initiatives and by taking individual action appropriate to their setting.

The U.S. State Department's Regional Environment Officer for the Pacific based in Suva, Fiji, Dr Norman Barth said that consistent with this year's theme of "Going beyond the Hour", many of these measures will continue to be in place after Earth Hour.  

In fact some of them are already in place.  

Dr Barth said their lead concept of "day-lighting" uses ambient light from windows for illumination in offices where possible, allowing us to leave the electrical lights off, often during the entire day, and in some cases, for weeks at a time.  

Dr. Barth stated that through their collective participation in Earth Hour, the eight U.S. Embassies in the Pacific will be saving hundreds of kilowatt-hours in the short term, and as they "go beyond the hour", tens of thousands of kilowatt-hours in the longer term.

Earth hour is marked every year on the 27th of March when from 8.30pm to 9.30pm people are encouraged to switch off non-essential lights and appliances.