Lights Out San Francisco

Google users in the San Francisco Bay Area will notice today that we "turned the lights out" on the Google.com homepage as a gesture to raise awareness of a citywide energy conservation event called Lights Out San Francisco.

On Saturday, October 20, 2007, Lights Out San Francisco invites the entire city of San Francisco to install one compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) and turn off all lights for one hour, from 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm PDT. According to estimates, turning the lights out in San Francisco for even one hour could save as much as 15 percent of the energy consumed on an average Saturday night.

Given our company's commitment to environmental awareness and energy efficiency, we strongly support the Lights Out campaign, and have darkened our homepage today to help spread awareness of what we hope will be a highly successful citywide event.

Why did Google choose this specific organization?
We believe in doing our part to help combat climate change, and found the Lights Out San Francisco initiative to be a timely, important event. Further, we think the "lights out" idea's individual-centered nature is something that almost everyone in the Bay Area can participate in. In short, we really like it. So we did something about it.

Why doesn't Google change the homepage to black permanently?
We're committed to reducing the effects of climate change by promoting energy efficiency, but current evidence doesn't suggest that a permanent change to a black background would be beneficial to either the environment or our users. However, we're always on the lookout for ways to improve the user experience, and if new research uncovers new findings, our feelings on the subject could change.

How can I get Google to do something similar for my organization or project?
We welcome your ideas on how we can become more socially and environmentally responsible. Although we can't guarantee either a placement on the Google homepage or even a response to every query, we do read every email we receive and welcome your ideas of organizations that you believe we should feature. If you'd like to submit a proposal, please send it to us at proposals@google.com.