SIXTY black balloons dotted the sky over the Hort Park on Wednesday as drums sounded to launch Earth Hour 2009.

The 60 orbs represented the minutes of the hour during which people are encouraged to turn off their lights, in a symbolic gesture to support the fight against climate change.

Spearheaded by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Earth Hour gained international recognition after its inaugural launch in Sydney last year), with over 74 cities pledging their involvement.