Earth Jerk began as a prank in which people around the world were encouraged to, on the day prior to the World Wildlife Fund's Earth Hour, flick the light off on other people when they were in the bathroom, the office, the kitchen, etc—essentially wherever the level of juvenile humor would be highest (safety first, of course).

Info for Earth Jerk was posted on various blogs and within a couple social networking sites, and ultimately got the attention of the World Wildlife Fund itself in 2008, resulting in their promotion of it as a means to garner more attention for Earth Hour.