Earth Hour - households to switch off lights in support of environmental change
Friday, 27 March 2009 3:54 PM
As thousands of protestors prepare to descend on London tomorrow in a bid to lobby the G20, the Earth Hour campaign is reminding us we can all contribute to tackling climate change from the comfort of our own homes.
Tomorrow evening, at 8.30pm, the UK will 'go dark' when households, businesses and famous landmarks turn off their lights for an hour to show solidarity against the damaging effects of climate change.
During the day, a peaceful march will be taking place to influence a meeting of the G20 in London next week, organised by Put People First (PPF). But tomorrow evening (at 8.30 pm March 28th) the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) have organised a further environmental message, Earth Hour.
The WWF are hoping one billion people will take part in the switch off, with 1,500 cities from 80 countries signed up to support the event. In the UK, London, Cardiff, Belfast, Newcastle, Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh are taking part. Landmarks Nelson's Column, Wembley Arch in London, the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, the entire quayside in Newcastle and the Forth Bridge in Edinburgh are also committed to Earth Hour.
Colin Butfield, head of campaigns at WWF-UK, said: "WWF's Earth Hour is set to be the world's biggest ever climate change event, and it will send an incredibly powerful message to global leaders that, in order to avoid its worst impacts, they need to take action to tackle climate change now."
According to a poll by WWF, apart from the current financial crisis, climate change is the UK public's greatest fear for the future, with 72 per cent of people willing to take more action to tackle the issue head on.
UK businesses, including Tesco, Coca-Cola, Lend Lease, Unilever, IKEA, BT and McDonald's have all signed up to Earth Hour, and will turn off their lights along with households, from 8.30pm to 9.30pm tomorrow night.
Dax Lovegrove, WWF-UK's head of business and industry, said: "The private sector has a key role to play in the fight against climate change - both in terms of prevention and adapting to its worst impacts. Their support for WWF's Earth Hour shows that more and more businesses want to join that fight.
"The ecological recession will ultimately hit businesses far harder than the current financial crisis, and a smart business will be a resource-efficient and climate-safe one."
Coca-Cola is switching off its billboard sign in London's Piccadilly Circus; IKEA is switching off the lights on its Croydon Towers; and Tesco is switching off facia lights at eight iconic stores. The lights will also go out on the BT Tower and Unilever's London HQ on Victoria Embankment.
