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Wan LixinOpinion deputy editor of Shanghai Daily
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In the darkest hour, a global vote for action
Source: Agencies |
March 30, 2009, Monday
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Print Edition
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FOR environmental activists, the message was clear: Saturday's Earth Hour was a huge success. Now they say nations have a mandate to tackle climate change.
"The world said yes to climate action, now governments must follow," the World Wildlife Fund said a day after hundreds of millions of people worldwide followed its call to turn off lights for a full hour.
From an Antarctic research base and the Great Pyramids of Egypt, from the Colosseum in Rome to the Empire State building in New York, illuminated patches of the globe went dark Saturday night to highlight the threat of climate change. Time zone by time zone, nearly 4,000 cities and towns in 88 countries dimmed nonessential lights from 8:30pm to 9:30pm.
WWF called the event, which began in Australia in 2007 and grew last year to 400 cities worldwide, "the world's first-ever global vote about the future of our planet."
"Last night's message from the masses was loud and clear: Delay no more, real action now!" said Kim Carstensen, the leader of WWF's Global Climate Initiative.
Negotiators from 175 countries gathered yesterday in Bonn, Germany, for the latest round in an effort to craft a deal to control emissions of the heat-trapping gases responsible for global warming.
German boy and girl scouts yesterday presented the top UN climate official Yvo de Boer with a blue "ballot box" symbolically representing the world's vote the night before to save the earth.
"If the world keeps polluting ... we will lose our future," a young girl scout told de Boer.
The climate chief thanked the young people as well as the WWF for mobilizing the massive show of support.
"I wouldn't be surprised if that was actually the largest public demonstration that there has ever been on an issue like this," he said.
"Earth Hour has always been a positive campaign," said Earth Hour executive director Andy Ridley. "It's always around street parties, not street protests, it's the idea of hope, not despair. And I think that's something that's been incredibly important this year."
"The world said yes to climate action, now governments must follow," the World Wildlife Fund said a day after hundreds of millions of people worldwide followed its call to turn off lights for a full hour.
From an Antarctic research base and the Great Pyramids of Egypt, from the Colosseum in Rome to the Empire State building in New York, illuminated patches of the globe went dark Saturday night to highlight the threat of climate change. Time zone by time zone, nearly 4,000 cities and towns in 88 countries dimmed nonessential lights from 8:30pm to 9:30pm.
WWF called the event, which began in Australia in 2007 and grew last year to 400 cities worldwide, "the world's first-ever global vote about the future of our planet."
"Last night's message from the masses was loud and clear: Delay no more, real action now!" said Kim Carstensen, the leader of WWF's Global Climate Initiative.
Negotiators from 175 countries gathered yesterday in Bonn, Germany, for the latest round in an effort to craft a deal to control emissions of the heat-trapping gases responsible for global warming.
German boy and girl scouts yesterday presented the top UN climate official Yvo de Boer with a blue "ballot box" symbolically representing the world's vote the night before to save the earth.
"If the world keeps polluting ... we will lose our future," a young girl scout told de Boer.
The climate chief thanked the young people as well as the WWF for mobilizing the massive show of support.
"I wouldn't be surprised if that was actually the largest public demonstration that there has ever been on an issue like this," he said.
"Earth Hour has always been a positive campaign," said Earth Hour executive director Andy Ridley. "It's always around street parties, not street protests, it's the idea of hope, not despair. And I think that's something that's been incredibly important this year."
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