NSW: NSW govt switches off for Earth Hour
28 Mar 2009 12:01 AM
SYDNEY, March 28 AAP - Sydney's Harbour Bridge and Opera House, as well as state government buildings, will be plunged into darkness on Saturday during the third annual Earth Hour event.
>From its humble beginnings in Sydney in 2007, when two million people took part, Earth Hour has blossomed into a truly global event which this year is expected to involve one billion people in more than 2,400 cities and towns across the world.
Earth Hour, starting at 8.30pm, encourages residents and others to switch off their lights in support of action against catastrophic climate change.
NSW Premier Nathan Rees said Parliament House, Taronga Zoo and the Australian Museum would be among the state agencies taking part in Earth Hour on Saturday.
City landmarks the Harbour Bridge, Opera House and Anzac Bridge would also switch off their lights, the premier said.
Mr Rees urged the private sector to get behind the event.
Earth Hour alerted people to the simple changes they can make to tackle global warming, NSW Climate Change Minister Carmel Tebbutt said.
"Earth Hour is a symbolic event, but one that encourages individuals to think about what they can do to combat climate change in their daily lives," she said in a statement.
"Simple actions, such as installing energy-efficient lightbulbs or insulation, can have a big effect in reducing household greenhouse gas emissions."
Eighty countries have signed on for Earth Hour in 2009.
Egypt's Great Pyramids at Giza will be plunged into darkness along with 828 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.
In Australia, more than 70 public events have been registered as part of the campaign.
A list of Earth Hour activities in Australia can be found on the website of the conservation group WWF, which founded the event.
