Lights out: what the Earth Hour seeks to achieve

28 March 2009

Electricity generation is aid to account for almost 40 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, as coal-fired power plants continue to account for most of the world's power production. By Jagdeep Worah

The night of 28 March will see a global blackout of unprecedented proportions. No, the Martians are not attacking, nor has there been a holocaust – so far. Citizens of the world are simply waking up to the fact that they cannot continue to pollute their planet without killing themselves in the process.

The logo for Earth Hour (Image credit: http://www.earthhour.org)

The 'Earth Hour' initiative of the Worldwide Fund for Nature was started in Sydney on 31 March 2007, and saw the participation of two million individuals and 2000 corporate houses in that city alone. Since then, the movement has caught on rapidly – the 2008 event saw the participation of 35 countries and about 50 million people across the globe, including India.

This year, over 2000 cities across 85 countries have confirmed their participation, from Reykjavik to Buenos Aires and London to Tokyo. Earth Hour 2009 is expected to reach out to one billion people, about a sixth of the global population. Landmark institutions as well as households will switch off their electricity for an hour from 8:30 to 9:30 pm in their local time, to show their support for the 'green' cause.

While precise figures are difficult to compute, most estimates say that electricity generation accounts for some 40 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, as coal-fired power plants continue to account for most of the world's power production. And this is apart from the environmental damage caused by mining for this scarce carbon resource.

Ravi Singh, secretary-general and chief executive officer, WWF India, told the media in New Delhi, ''It is heartening to see the tremendous support that the campaign is receiving getting from all sections of society across the country. Earth Hour shows the power of collective action towards a vote for the planet.''

Sejal Worah, programme director, WWF India, added, "The response to Earth Hour in India has been overwhelming, and exceeded all our expectations. This demonstrates that citizens of this country are aware and concerned about climate change and want governments to take action to ensure a sustainable future."