When you feel like you’re a dinosaur, one of the phenomenons you don’t always appreciate is the significance of something like Earth Hour. Many of us didn’t grow up hearing about 
climate concerns and global warming and other environmental issues, so when they became popular rallying cries, we didn’t always…well, understand.
You only have to see what’s happening in Japan right now to realize that you don’t mess with Mother Nature, and raping Mother Earth qualifies.
This year, more than ever, Earth Hour is everywhere, including cruise ships. The count of cruise lines isn’t in yet, but all of Costa Cruises’ ships are on board, so to speak. Eleven days from now, at 8:30 p.m. wherever Costa’s 14 ships are, the lights will go out (in compliance with safety procedures) for an hour, during which time Costa’s passengers will be served dinner by candlelight.
The lights will also be turned off at Palazzo Costa in Genoa, the company headquarters, for that hour.
Earth Hour. The last Saturday of March, every year, at 8:30 p.m. local time. It’s a symbolic gesture to draw attention to taking more energy than earth has to give, and it has grown like no stock any of us has ever bought.
In 2007, the movement began in Sydney, Australia. An estimated 2.2 million homes and businesses turned out the lights for 60 minutes. In 2008, 50 million people in 35 countries. In 2009, hundreds of millions in 4,000 cities and 88 countries. In 2010, more than 1.3 billion people in 128 countries on every continent.
Now that’s a “Return On Investment.”
It’s an opportunity to raise environmental awareness. It’s endorsed by Bishop Desmond Tutu, among others. By the Eiffel Tower. By the Coca-Cola sign at Times Square. It’s Earth’s Hour…an hour of rest, a chance to make world leaders see the light in the dark.
That goes for dinosaurs, too.