OK, yes, there are still a lot of lights on in this photo from March 29 last year — but not as many as there usually are. Really. This was what the Chicago skyline looked like during Earth Hour 2008. Tomorrow, it might even be darker than this. Earth Hour 2009 takes place from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday. In 84 countries around the world (starting at 8:30 p.m. in each time zone), individuals, businesses and municipalities will dim or turn off all non-essential lighting for the hour. It's a way of highlighting global climate change — and reminding us how much energy we waste on lights and electric appliances we don't use all the time ... but still have on, sucking juice from the power grid.

Last year, it was similarly nippy on Earth Hour night, and we huddled in the auto on the curb at Montrose Harbor, keeping the nippy at bay with a few nips from some spiked hot chocolate (except the driver, of course) while watching the skyline ... slowly ... fade ... away. Pretty cool. Pretty freaky. We imagine it's interesting to watch from the Hancock observatory, too.

Centerstage also has this list of eco-friendly Earth Hour eats and drinks.

Chicagoist has a few more.