‘Earth Hour’ to be observed today

Amid the announced and unannounced load shedding for hours in both rural and urban areas of the country, Pakistan along with over 150 other countries will observe the world’s largest single campaign for the ‘Earth Hour’ today (Saturday) by turning off lights for an hour from 8:30pm to 9:30pm in a collective display of commitment to a better future for the planet to reduce energy consumption.
With the theme ‘I will if you will’, ‘Earth Hour’ is a global WWF climate change initiative. This event calls for everyone to stand up and take responsibility towards a sustainable future. ‘Earth Hour’ is not to be confused with Earth Day.
The hour is to be observed between 8:30pm to 9:30pm in the metropolis on Saturday (today) by switching off lights to depict concern for climate change and global warming as the Ministry of National Disaster Management is joining 150 countries, 5,200 cities and millions of people around the world in the universal initiative for energy conservation, global warming and climate change.
Pakistan has a lesser contribution as compared to rest of the world towards global warming, but the country is at receiving end due to high global warming by neighbours like India and China.
Businesses and government organisations as well as community and political leaders will also take part in ‘Earth Hour’. It’s about giving people a voice on the planet’s future and working together to create a sustainable low carbon future for the earth.
The federal government has been celebrating this hour successfully in collaboration with the parliament, provincial governments, educational institutions, corporate sector, media and citizens of Pakistan since its launch in 2010. The WWF Pakistan has played a key role in mobilising this campaign successfully in collaboration with media to express solidarity with global fraternity.
Like other parts of the world, millions of people in Pakistan will switch off lights on Saturday for an hour to draw attention to climate change and as a symbol of hope for a cause that grows more urgent by the hour to celebrate ‘Earth Hour 2012’.
Keeping in view the importance of this occasion, the Ministry of National Disaster Management will invite people to join hands and attend the candle lit vigil at the front lawn of the National Assembly building at 8:30pm to 9:30pm today. Roots School System (RSS) will join hands with WWF to celebrate Earth Hour at Roots College International, G-8 Metropolitan campus, while few of many NGO workers, public sector/private sector employees, traders and shopkeepers will also observe this hour in the federal capital.
Lights at the iconic building in Islamabad, including the Presidency, the PM House, Pak Secretariat, the PM Secretariat, the Supreme Court building and government secretariats all over the country will be switched off to observe this hour.
Offices of private news channels and newspapers, Uniliver Pakistan, PIA, banks, Pakistan Petroleum Limited, ODGDC, government servants and general public will also observe ‘Earth Hour 2012’. Earth Hour started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia, when 2.2 million homes and businesses turned their lights off for one hour to make their stand against climate change.
Only a year later, ‘Earth Hour’ became a global sustainability movement with more than 50 million people of 35 countries observed the day. Global landmarks such as Sydney Harbour Bridge, The CN Tower in Toronto, The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and Rome all stood in darkness as symbols of hope for a cause that grows more urgent by the hour.
In March 2009, hundreds of millions of people took part in the third ‘Earth Hour.’ Over 4,000 cities in 88 countries officially switched off to pledge their support for the planet, making Earth Hour 2009 the world’s largest global climate change initiative. And now in 2012, an estimated 1.5 billion people in over 100 countries worldwide will be participating in the ‘Earth Hour’.
The ‘Earth Hour’ is a fabulous opportunity for the people of Pakistan and, in particular, youth to do something about climate change. On one night, in one hour, more will be done, more will be demonstrated, and more will be learned than any other ‘Green’ initiative. Participate in the ‘Earth Hour’ today and you can help make a difference.