Earth Hour, an international campaign to raise awareness about energy issues by encouraging citizens around the world to switch off their lights for 60 minutes at an assigned time, will be going one step further this year in a bid to get people to do more for the environment.

This year's Earth Hour will take place on Saturday, March 23, with lights and electrical appliances being switched off at 8.30 p.m. The second, three-pronged part of this year's campaign is titled “I Will if You Will” and aims to make citizens more aware of the small things they can do in their daily lives that can have a positive ecological impact.

First of all, “I Will if You Will” encourages participants to recycle objects they no longer have use for by donating them to someone who may need them. Secondly, they are asked to place one plant or more on a balcony or window sill, and encourage neighbors, families and friends to do the same. The third prong of “I Will if You Will” has do with making better use of public transportation and bicycles for getting around, as well as walking when possible, and encouraging others to do likewise.

The active part of the Earth Hour campaign already has millions of followers around the world, who have managed in their own small way to become catalysts for change.

Earth Hour began in 2007 in Australia, with over 2 million households and businesses participating in Sydney alone. By 2009, the initiative included 4,000 cities in 88 countries, while in 2012 the number of participating countries had shot up to 135.