Ireland prepares to pull plug for global Earth Hour event

PRIVATE AND public buildings across Ireland will be among those in more than 1,000 locations in 25 time zones pitched into darkness next Saturday for Earth Hour 2009.

The event will begin with the switching off of diesel generators on the Chatham Islands, a small archipelago off the east coast of New Zealand, heralding a global wave of participation that will sweep across Asia to Europe before moving across North America and onwards.

The lights will go out for an hour at 8.30pm local time in each location.

In Greece, thousands of Athenians will gather in the birthplace of democracy to watch the lights go out at the Acropolis in acknowledgment of Earth Hour’s call for action on climate change.

Other cities will make similarly powerful – or indeed powerless – statements, with Paris darkening its Eiffel Tower, among other buildings.

Ireland’s turn will see iconic buildings including the Custom House, Government Buildings and Leinster House going dark for an hour, as will thousands of private homes.

Lights will also be turned off at locations such as the Rock of Cashel, and at Cahir, Trim and Donegal Castle. Even the banks, which were criticised last year for not engaging enough, are expected to dim the lights. Local authorities in Dublin, Belfast, Armagh, Galway, Limerick, Waterford and Cork are among those who will also take part.

According to Eirgrid, some 50 megawatts of electricity was saved when the lights went out last year, with resultant savings in carbon emissions.

Minister for the Environment John Gormley and his family will be turning out the lights in his Dublin South East constituency home, as will director of Friends of the Irish Environment, Tony Lowes, in Ahillies, Co Cork.

The Minister has urged participants to take part in the symbolic gesture by organising family parties or candle-lit meals. The Minister said he was also hoping that as well as enjoying the hour, people would use the opportunity to examine their energy use and make a commitment to change something in their lives.

After Ireland, Earth Hour will move to metropolises across the Americas including New York, Rio de Janeiro, Toronto, Buenos Aires, Chicago, Mexico City and Las Vegas.

More than one billion people are expected to participate this year. More details of Irish participation are available on www.change.ie while worldwide events are on www.earthhour.org

See Earth Hourmagazine