Cities to turn out the lights for climate change:
WWF
NUSA DUA, Indonesia (AFP) - - Major cities around the world will
plunge into darkness for an hour in March 2008 to mark their
commitment to battling climate change, conservation group WWF said
Friday.
Toronto, Sydney, Tel Aviv, Copenhagen and Chicago and many other
cities in Asia, Europe and North America will switch off the lights
on March 29 for the so-called Earth Hour, the group
announced.
James Leape, head of WWF International, hailed the "unique global
event" as a demonstration of the world's commitment to fighting
global warming, which climate scientists say is one of the planet's
gravest long-term problems.
"During Earth Hour, governments, businesses, community leaders and
individuals will be turning out their lights and switching on their
support for actions that can help make a difference in the most
significant challenge facing the world today," Leape said in a
statement.
The announcement came as the world's environment ministers and
senior delegates thrashed out the details on a new climate change
road map in Bali, Indonesia as talks entered 11th-hour haggles with
key issues unresolved.
"While we expect the government leaders here in Bali to make
courageous decisions that are needed to save our planet, Earth Hour
reminds us that each of us can be part of the solution to climate
change," Leape said.
Environmental delegates from more than 180 countries have until the
end of Friday to agree a framework for tackling global warming past
2012, when pledges under the climate change-tackling treaty, the
Kyoto Protocol, expire.
This will be the second Earth Hour organised by WWF, after Sydney
plunged into the dark in March this year, with more than
2.2-million people taking part. Sydney's landmark Opera House and
Harbour Bridge were among the buildings dimming the lights.
The idea behind the initiative is to raise awareness of climate
change and promote energy efficiency.
"Now it is time to take Earth Hour to the rest of the world," said
Sydney's Lord Mayor Clover Moore.
