FED: Earth Hour: a vote against global warming
By Larine Statham26 Mar 2009 6:28 PM
Subject: FED: Earth Hour: a vote against global warming FED: Earth Hour: a vote against global warming
ADELAIDE, March 26 AAP - A climate change campaign that began in Australia two years ago with just over two million participants will reach truly global proportions this weekend.
Earth Hour is aiming for one billion participants in 2,400 cities and towns across the globe on Saturday, as people switch off their lights in support of action against catastrophic climate change.
Sydney was where it all began in 2007, with the Opera House the first global icon to get in on the action.
This year Egypt's Great Pyramids at Giza will also be plunged into darkness alongside other global landmarks including New York's Empire State Building, the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the famed Coca-Cola sign in London's Piccadilly Circus.
Earth Hour organisers say that by turning off the lights from 8.30pm local time on Saturday, people can send a powerful collective message on the importance of action on climate change.
World leaders are due to meet in the Danish capital of Copenhagen in December to design a new global strategy to fight global warming.
Scientists say a strong agreement must come out of that meeting if the world is to avoid the worst effects of global warming.
The gesture also serves as a reminder to people to think about the way they consume energy and to modify their daily habits to cut down on power consumption.
More than 70 public events have registered to be part of Earth Hour in Australia this year.
As well as sending a message on climate change, Swinburne University astronomer Michael Murphy said the event would return the full beauty of the night sky to Australians, at least for an hour.
"The night sky is one of the last great nature reserves, but most people in Australia can't see it because of the city lights," he said, adding Earth Hour sky gazers will have a good chance of spotting a shooting star.
The event's also a good excuse to indulge in some good old-fashioned romance.
Candle-lit speed dating will be held in most capital cities, while a 700 candle message of "lights off" will be laid out on Sydney's Coogee Beach.
A list of Earth Hour activities in Australia can be found on the website of the conservation group WWF, which founded the event.
AAP lcs/sl/tnf/mn=0A
FED: Earth Hour: a vote against global warming