Many Google users were shocked to log onto Google.com this morning and find that the website was nearly entirely black.  So why is Google black today?  We can assure you that it has nothing to do with the Reverend Jeremiah Wright.

Here is why Google says they went black (at least for today):

Google users in the United States will notice today that we “turned the lights out” on the Google.com homepage as a gesture to raise awareness of a worldwide energy conservation effort called Earth Hour. As to why we don’t do this permanently - it saves no energy; modern displays use the same amount of power regardless of what they display. However, you can do something to reduce the energy consumption of your home PC by joining the Climate Savers Computing Initiative.

On Saturday, March 29, 2008, Earth Hour invites people around the world to turn off their lights for one hour – from 8:00pm to 9:00pm in their local time zone. On this day, cities around the world, including Copenhagen, Chicago, Melbourne, Dubai, and Tel Aviv, will hold events to acknowledge their commitment to energy conservation.

Will you turn off your power for an hour today or will you leave your lights on even while you go to the grocery store and mall today?