WHAT CAN YOU DO TO REDUCE THE EFFECTS OF GLOBAL WARMING?
Join Earth Hour 2008 this coming March 29, 2008, 8 PM.
Last year, March 31, 2007 to be exact, Sydney turned off its lights for 1 hour.
– 2.2 million people
– 2,100 businesses
Sydney landmarks like the Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House turned their lights off; weddings were done by candlelight. That collective effort resulted in reducing the city’s energy consumption by 10.2 percent for that hour, equivalent to taking 48,000 cars off the road for an hour.
Inspired by Sydney, other major cities are joining Earth Hour 2008, Manila included (with WWF-Philippines leading the pack). In their website, WWF-Philippines reports that “Pasay City Mayor Wenceslao “Peewee” Trinidad agreed to turn off all lights along Manila’s historical Roxas Boulevard seaside strip for 60 minutes on 29 March to show support.”
What can YOU do? The Earth Hour 2008 website gives these suggestions:
- Sign up for Earth Hour 2008
- Get involved and create a bigger, better Earth Hour
- Reduce your impact on climate change
- Create your own Earth Hour event
- Calculate your carbon footprint
In its list of participating cities, Earth Hour 2008 reports Manila’s vision as follows:
The people of Manila care deeply about climate change and we are united in our resolve to meet this challenge in the best way that we can. This is why the City of Manila has teamed with WWF to make Earth Hour 2008 a success around the world by being the lead city in Philippines participating in the simple but momentous act of turning off the lights for one hour.
Here in Manila we understand that climate change is the most significant threat to life on Earth. One way to slow the current rate of global warming is for each individual and business to make small adjustments to the way they live. To meet the threat of climate change we need to demonstrate how simple and easy it is to make the small adjustments to our lives that begin to make the difference.
An event like Earth Hour that achieves full community involvement in a simple action like turning the lights off can make a huge difference. And even more importantly, it will mark the beginning of a campaign to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of Manila significantly by the time Earth Hour 2009 comes around.
WWF and Manila invite all households and businesses to take part in Earth Hour by turning off their lights for one hour at 8pm on March 29 2008. Information on how you, your business or local community can get involved in Earth Hour 2008 can be found on the Earth Hour website.
Let’s do our share. Pass on this information to your family and friends.