Malacanang urges public to participate in this year’s Earth Hour

by | Mar 24, 2011 | Headlines, National News

MALACANANG encourages the public to participate in this year’s Earth Hour to conserve
energy and asked the people to eventually make it a habit.

“We want to reiterate the call of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources
[DENR] to participate on the Earth Hour, Saturday (March 26). So, let us turn off our lights for
an hour and again we are taking it a step farther,” Deputy Presidential Spokesman Abegail
Valte said in a briefing on Tuesday.

Valte said many Filipinos complied in the energy conservation initiative and they want to
make it wider this year asking everyone who will participate to not only turn off their lights but
also to minimize their electrical consumption for that particular hour.

“We hope that it becomes our habit moving forward,” she said.

Earth Hour is a global grass-roots movement encouraging individuals, businesses and
governments around the world to take positive actions for the environment, and celebrating
their commitment to the planet by switching off their lights for one designated hour.

Earth Hour 2011 aims to show the actions that people, businesses and governments world-
wide are taking to reduce their environmental impact.

Organizers are encouraging everyone to join an interconnected global community engaged in
dialogue and resource sharing that generates real solutions to environmental challenges.

Earth Hour 2011 will be held on Saturday, March 26, between 8:30pm and 9:30pm in local
time zone. (PCOO)

DOE eyes to snowball Earth Hour March 27

by | Mar 19, 2010 | Headlines, National News

THE Department of Energy (DoE) hopes to snowball a plan for all power consumers to join in observing Earth Hour 2010.

And by voluntarily turning off their lights from 8:30-9:30 p.m. on March 27, the government wishes to increase awareness on climate change issues.

There is more to it than just switching off the lights for an hour once a year, says Lou Arciaga, DoE Science and Research specialist and Public Information Officer-designate as quoted in reports.

The explained that just as the Earth Hour 2010 puts up a global call for action to every individual, business and community throughout the world, It’s also about giving people a voice in the future of our planet and working together to create a sustainable low carbon future.”

Earth Hour started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia, when 2.2 million homes and business firms turned their lights off for an hour to make a stand against climate change.

In 2008, it became a global sustainability movement with more than 50 million people across 35 countries participating. (PIA)