WITH just hours to go until the big switch-off, residents and businesses across Hampshire and the world are preparing for a dramatic global blackout.

From 8pm tonight iconic buildings around the world will be plunged into darkness in a united statement to help save the planet.

It will be lights out in Chicago, Vancouver and San Francisco, darkness in Dublin, Bangkok and Sydney and inky blackness across Tel Aviv, Perth and Copenhagen.

Meanwhile some of Hampshires best-known buildings, from Portsmouths Spinnaker Tower to the Mayflower theatre in Southampton, will be turning out the lights for one hour in support of Earth Hour.

The familiar lights studding Southamptons Civic Centre clock tower will be extinguished along with the Daily Echo's very own illuminated sign and the far-reaching lights of the citys Skandia building.

WestQuay Shopping centre, Winchester Cathedral, Hampshire Constabulary headquarters and Hampshire County Council offices will also descend into darkness as the black out sweeps the county.

Householders across the region are also being urged to switch off for 60 minutes tonight - a simple gesture to show their commitment to the environment.

Sydney hosted the worlds first Earth Hour last year when 2.2m people and 2,100 businesses turned off their lights for one hour, reducing the city's energy consumption by ten per cent.

Experts say that if the energy reduction achieved in that hour was sustained for a year it would be equivalent to taking 48,616 cars off the road for one year.

Now the idea has spread from Sydney to major cities across the world, turning Earth Hour into a global movement and leaving iconic structures from Sydney Opera House to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco in temporary darkness.

In Hampshire, local radio station Power FM is celebrating Earth Hour by broadcasting a Party in the Dark from the top of the Spinnaker Tower.

From 8pm, the green light which has illuminated the tower all month will be extinguished, leaving the familiar landmark in the dark.

The broadcast will include a link-up with other towns and cities across the UK to see how they will be marking Earth Hour.

Southampton's Chamber of Commerce has also urged city businesses to turn off their lights from 8pm tonight to do their bit for the planet.

A lot of energy wastage probably comes from empty business premises, and tonight's Earth Hour is a good idea, said Kristine Salomon-Olsen of the Southampton Chamber.

"In fact we should be thinking before we even turn lights on in the first place.

"Tonight's Earth Hour is a step in the right direction C its only little by little that we can change peoples mindsets.

"There are many simple ways for business people to tackle climate change, from switching to energy-saving light bulbs in the office to recycling paper and ink cartridges and using e-mail communications where possible."

The Chambers green policy also includes using water meters and water-saving devices in the cloakrooms, as well as power-off/lights-off monitors to reduce energy consumption at the close of business.

Kristine added: "We urge Southampton businesses to follow the Chamber's good example and get involved in as many ways as they can in saving energy and tackling the causes of climate change."

  • Earth Hour is between 8pm and 9pm tonight.
  • For more, see today's Daily Echo or read previous environmental articles here.