CANBERRA — As many as 30 million people are tipped to switch
off lights and televisions around the world to help fight climate change with 24
cities joining Earth Hour on March 29, environment group WWF said on Wednesday.
Following last year’s Earth Hour in Australia, where 2.2
million Sydneysiders powered-down for an hour, cities including Atlanta, San
Francisco, Bangkok, Ottawa, Dublin, Vancouver, Montreal and Phoenix have also
signed on, WWF said.
They joined Copenhagen and Aarhus, Manila, Fiji’s capital
Suva, Chicago, Tel Aviv, Christchurch, Toronto, Odense and Aalborg, as well as
major Australian cities including Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane and the national
capital Canberra.
"If we see the same participation levels around the globe
that we did in Sydney, then we can anticipate more than 30 million people
involved," said Andy Ridley, Earth Hour’s executive director.
Earth Hour asks residents in participating cities to switch
off lights and non-essential electrical items for one hour at 8 p.m. to raise
awareness of carbon emissions that scientists blame for causing global warming.
During last year’s Sydney event, restaurants used candles and
lights were turned off in homes and major landmarks, including the Opera House
and the Harbour Bridge.
This year, Ridley said, other iconic buildings to be plunged
into darkness would include San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, Chicago’s Sears
Tower and Soldier Field Stadium football ground, as well as the 553-metre CN
Tower in Toronto.
"Climate change is a truly global issue and people around the
world are demanding action," he said.
During last year’s Earth Hour in Sydney, essential lights were kept on for
safety reasons, including street lights. Power provider Energy Australia said
the event cut electricity consumption by 10.2 percent.
