EARTH HOUR 2010: AUSTRALIAN EMBASSY JOINS GLOBAL SWITCH OFF AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
The Australian Embassy will join organisations and communities in the Philippines, and Australian embassies around the world, in taking a united stance against global warming by participating in Earth Hour 2010 on 27 March by turning off its lights from 8.30pm to 9.30pm.
The embassy will also join the Makati City Government for its Earth Hour Ceremonial Countdown Event at the Ayala Triangle Gardens.
“We join the millions of individuals from around the world who have expressed their commitment to take a stand against the global threat of climate change,” Australian Ambassador Rod Smith said.
Created by the World Wildlife Fund, Earth Hour was first launched in Sydney, Australia, in 2007 when more than 2.2 million Sydney residents, 2,100 businesses and Australia’s iconic landmarks, the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge switched off their lights for one hour. The initiative resulted in a 10.2 per cent energy reduction across the city, resulting in a reduction of 24.86 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions – the equivalent of taking 48,613 cars off the road for an hour.
In 2008, Earth Hour became a global event with more than 50 million people across 35 countries participating in the global switch off. Last year, the movement grew to include more than 4000 cities in 88 countries, making it the world’s largest global climate change initiative. The Philippines accounted for more than 10 million participants from 647 cities and municipalities, earning the recognition of having the most number of participants in that year.
“The Australian Government sees climate change as the challenge of our generation,” Ambassador Smith said.
“We are working on practical and long-term solutions to address the impact of climate change and are providing support to countries in the Asia-Pacific region, including the Philippines, to assist them in responding to these challenges,” Ambassador Smith said.
Last year, the Australian Government Aid Program provided Php123 million to support three projects to strengthen the Philippines’ ability to adapt to the effects of climate change and reduce the risks associated with natural disasters.
For more information on Earth Hour, visit www.earthhour.org.