From the City of Cambridge, March 10, 2016: The city is joining in Earth Hour 2016, a worldwide grassroots movement sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund in which people in more than 7,000 cities turn off all nonessential lights for an hour to show they are committed to fighting climate change.

Cambridge residents, businesses and institutions are invited to participate in Earth Hour 2016 from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. March 19, marking the 10th anniversary of the international Earth Hour movement.

The city is working on many levels to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions to make the city more sustainable. As a semifinalist in the nationwide competition for the $5 million Georgetown University Energy Prize, it is encouraging residents to take actions to save energy and money and protect the environment. As part of the many initiatives underway to help win the prize, Cambridge Energy Alliance is working with Next Step Living to help reduce energy use at single-family homes and residential buildings with two to four units.

There are 50 cities competing for the Georgetown University Energy Prize. To win, the city needs people to: Participate in Earth Hour; sign up for an assessment here; and encourage friends and neighbors to join the effort and promote it through social media.