Sri Lanka joins millions during Earth Hour

Wasantha Ramanayake

[ In the dark]

* EH heralded in Sydney

* Lights dimmed in India Gate

* Hiroshima Peace Memorial in dark

* Lights off in 11 time zones in Russia.

Sri Lanka joined hands with hundreds of millions around the globe during Earth Hour (EH) with Environment Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka switching off lights at the Ministry building from 8.30 p.m. to 9.30 pm on Saturday.

According to an Environment Ministry official, Government institutions in the city switched off lights with thousands of residents volunteered to be in the dark during the hour supporting action on the climate change.

The Minister while congratulating World Wildlife Fund (WWF) for initiating EH noted that after three years it has gathered momentum and hundreds of millions have joined hands to curb greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere.

Minister Ranawaka noted that they decided to support EH since the objectives of the Earth Hour i.e. to raise awareness of climate change is in harmony with the mandate of the Ministry.

“My Ministry has spread this message and hope that the public too volunteer to join it.” WWF International news editor Phil Dickie in a statement said hundreds of millions of people in more than 4,000 communities in 126 countries participated in Earth Hour starting in the Pacific Islands and concluding in Apia, Samoa.

WWF stated that lights went out at one of the best lit places on planet - the welcome sign and strip at Las Vegas, Nevada, in the USA. Lights went off also at the United Nations and Empire State Building and Golden Gate bridge.

Not only the entire Islands of Tuvalu, the most affected by the climate change, went into dark but also islanders prevented from burning fuel making it entirely carbon free hour, while 50 cities, towns across New Zealand welcome Earth Hour, WWF said.

EH was heralded in Sydney, Australia where it was founded in 2007 with lights going out of the landmark Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House. Lights in India Gate was dimmed marking the main event India. Delhi, Mumbai and Banglore, the official Earth Hour cities this year took part in the activities.

The historic Forbidden City in China was in darkness for an hour, as its lights went off marking the main event organized to celebrate EH in China and in Japan, Tokyo Towers and Hiroshima Peace Memorial too went in dark , WWF noted.

The WWF also noted that Pakistani President Asif Ali Sadari and the Prime Minister switched off lights at their residencies in the country’s first involvement in the Earth Hour. Television Maldives went off air during Earth Hour, marking EH in another group of islands that are worst affected by the climate change. The world’s tallest building 828 m Burj Khalifa too switched off its light during the Earth Hour.

The lights went off in famous landmarks across 11 time zones in Russia, countries in the Eastern Europe. The lights went off in European land marks such as Eiffel Tower, London Tower Bridge and Buckingham Palace.

According to WWF, Individuals, businesses, governments and communities were invited to turn out their lights for one hour on March 27 at 8.30 P.M. to show their support for action on climate change. The event began in Sydney in 2007, when two million people switched off their lights.

In 2008, more than 50 million people around the globe participated.

In 2009, Hundreds of millions of people in more than 4,000 cities and towns across 88 countries switched off their lights for one hour.