By IANS,
New York: The UN will observe Earth Hour Saturday in its facilities across the world to show its commitment to action on climate change, WAM news agency reported.
Earth Hour, promoted by WWF (World Wide Fund For Nature), the global conservation organisation, has asked people and organisations to turn off the lights for one hour Saturday night (March 27) between 8.30 p.m. and 9.30 p.m. in whatever time zone they may be located.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has called Earth Hour “both a warning and a beacon of hope”.
“By switching off non-essential lights for an hour, people will join a symbolic display that can inspire the change we so urgently need,” he said.
“As we watch the lights go out from continent to continent, let us reflect on the fragility and importance of our natural heritage and pledge to protect it for a sustainable future for all.
“The message of Earth Hour is simple,” he added. “Climate change is a concern for each of us. Solutions are within our grasp and are ready to be implemented by individuals, communities, businesses and governments around the globe.”
Earth Hour organisers say that in 2009, hundreds of millions of people in 4,088 cities, towns and municipalities across 88 countries participated. They hope the event will reach more than one billion people in more than 6,000 cities around the globe this year.
The Earth Hour event takes place one week after the vernal equinox – when night and day are the same duration in both hemispheres – which ensures that it will be night-time for all people, wherever they are, at 8.30 in the evening.