Landmarks go dark, millions switch off to back Earth Hour
Source: Agencies |
March 28, 2010, Sunday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
THE white-shelled roof of Australia's Sydney Opera House went dark last night, one of the first landmarks to turn off the lights in an hour-long gesture to be repeated by millions of people around the world supporting a binding pact to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
More than 30 cities in China planned to switch off their lights, including those at the landmark Forbidden City in downtown Beijing.
The fourth annual Earth Hour was expected to see buildings in up to 4,000 cities in more than 120 countries unplug to reduce energy consumption and draw attention to the dangers of climate change, according to organizers.
The event was rolling across the world, with participants turning off the lights when the clock struck 8:30pm local time.
From a shopping mall in Manila to the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Empire State Building in New York, landmarks and skylines were dimming.
China's giant panda Mei Lan, who lives at the Chengdu Panda Breeding Research Center in the southwestern province of Sichuan, was scheduled to kick off the country's participation. When she walks onto a platform in her enclosure, the lights will go out, said Chris Chaplin, communications officer for World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in China.
In Shanghai, scenic spots such as Xintiandi and Lujiazui plunged into darkness to join the campaign. The lights of Shanghai's three tallest buildings, the Shanghai World Financial Center, Oriental Pearl TV Tower and Jin Mao Tower, all turned off from 8:30pm to 9:30pm.
Many companies, schools and communities also organized activities to teach people to protect the environment with small steps.
Dark party
In Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, a one-hour "dark party" was held near the Leifeng Pagoda, the city's iconic tourist attraction.
"The reason for us to have this party is to tell people that without electricity, we can still enjoy life," said organizer Yang Dongwen.
China first took part in the campaign last year.
"We have everyone from Casablanca to the safari camps of Namibia and Tanzania taking part," said Greg Bourne, CEO of WWF in Australia, the environmental group that came up with the idea that started in Sydney in 2007 and has since grown to every continent.
The shutdown is completely voluntary and street lights, traffic lights and other safety measures are unaffected.
Andy Ridley, a WWF worker in Sydney who cooked up the idea of Earth Hour in a pub with friends, said he hoped this year's event would inspire world leaders to strive for a stronger climate agreement than that struck at last December's Copenhagen climate change summit, which failed to come up with binding rules to reduce pollution.
"What we're still looking for in this coming year is a global deal that encourages all countries to lower their emissions," Ridley said yesterday.
"China is going to have to be a big part of that but so is every other major economy."
Some 88 cities took part in last year's Earth Hour, which has the backing of the United Nations as well as global corporations, non-profit groups, scientists and celebrities -- including Oscar-winning actress Cate Blanchett and retired Cape Town Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
Earth Hour organizers say there's no uniform way to measure how much energy is saved worldwide, but the fact that so many places have signed up to take part should send a message to leaders that global warming is a topic of great concern to people worldwide.
More than 30 cities in China planned to switch off their lights, including those at the landmark Forbidden City in downtown Beijing.
The fourth annual Earth Hour was expected to see buildings in up to 4,000 cities in more than 120 countries unplug to reduce energy consumption and draw attention to the dangers of climate change, according to organizers.
The event was rolling across the world, with participants turning off the lights when the clock struck 8:30pm local time.
From a shopping mall in Manila to the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Empire State Building in New York, landmarks and skylines were dimming.
China's giant panda Mei Lan, who lives at the Chengdu Panda Breeding Research Center in the southwestern province of Sichuan, was scheduled to kick off the country's participation. When she walks onto a platform in her enclosure, the lights will go out, said Chris Chaplin, communications officer for World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in China.
In Shanghai, scenic spots such as Xintiandi and Lujiazui plunged into darkness to join the campaign. The lights of Shanghai's three tallest buildings, the Shanghai World Financial Center, Oriental Pearl TV Tower and Jin Mao Tower, all turned off from 8:30pm to 9:30pm.
Many companies, schools and communities also organized activities to teach people to protect the environment with small steps.
Dark party
In Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, a one-hour "dark party" was held near the Leifeng Pagoda, the city's iconic tourist attraction.
"The reason for us to have this party is to tell people that without electricity, we can still enjoy life," said organizer Yang Dongwen.
China first took part in the campaign last year.
"We have everyone from Casablanca to the safari camps of Namibia and Tanzania taking part," said Greg Bourne, CEO of WWF in Australia, the environmental group that came up with the idea that started in Sydney in 2007 and has since grown to every continent.
The shutdown is completely voluntary and street lights, traffic lights and other safety measures are unaffected.
Andy Ridley, a WWF worker in Sydney who cooked up the idea of Earth Hour in a pub with friends, said he hoped this year's event would inspire world leaders to strive for a stronger climate agreement than that struck at last December's Copenhagen climate change summit, which failed to come up with binding rules to reduce pollution.
"What we're still looking for in this coming year is a global deal that encourages all countries to lower their emissions," Ridley said yesterday.
"China is going to have to be a big part of that but so is every other major economy."
Some 88 cities took part in last year's Earth Hour, which has the backing of the United Nations as well as global corporations, non-profit groups, scientists and celebrities -- including Oscar-winning actress Cate Blanchett and retired Cape Town Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
Earth Hour organizers say there's no uniform way to measure how much energy is saved worldwide, but the fact that so many places have signed up to take part should send a message to leaders that global warming is a topic of great concern to people worldwide.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
