Up to 700,000 lights go out as Ireland switches off

EARTH HOUR:THE EQUIVALENT of more than 700,000 lights went off throughout the State on Saturday night as Government offices, businesses and homes joined in the global Earth Hour initiative, which aims to highlight the threat from climate change.

Electricity consumption dropped 2 per cent during the hour, according to EirGrid, which hailed the success of the symbolic initiative and called on consumers to follow up with further efforts to reduce energy consumption.

Government buildings around Ireland went dark from 8.30pm to 9.30pm, while a number of larger private companies minimised their lighting during the Earth Hour. Elsewhere, landmark buildings such as the Eiffel Tower, London’s Houses of Parliament and the Sydney Opera House went dark as part of the global initiative in more than 10,000 cities.

Time zone by time zone, up to one billion people in nearly 4,000 cities and towns in 88 countries joined the event, according to sponsors, the World Wildlife Fund.

Eirgrid says electricity consumption dropped by about 70 megawatts during the period, resulting in a saving of 30 tonnes of CO2 emissions. This compares to the 50 megawatts saved during last year’s Earth Hour.

The hour clashed with the Ireland-Bulgaria soccer international in Croke Park, where a half-time advertisement on energy saving was aired, and Labour leader Eamon Gilmore’s speech at his party conference in Mullingar, where the lights were dimmed briefly before his address.

Historic sites throughout the country were plunged into darkness as the Office of Public Works pulled the plug on floodlighting for the hour. They included the State’s most visited heritage site, the Rock of Cashel, as well as Cahir Castle, Ormonde Castle, Donegal Castle and Trim Castle.

Green Party leader and Minister for the Environment John Gormley said he hoped people would make a permanent change in the way they use energy. “By doing your bit and not wasting energy every day, you can also save hundreds of euro a year, ” he said.

Tony Lowes of Friends of the Irish Environment, who introduced Earth Hour to Ireland last year and who co-ordinated the event again this year, said that while the response in Ireland had been unprecedented, nothing had changed. “After the euphoria of last night, it’s really hard today to face again into the huge job we have to make our politicians and business leaders take the extreme actions that are needed more urgently every day.”

In Dublin, Leinster House lay in darkness, as did the Four Courts, the Custom House and the Bank of Ireland on College Green. A spokesman for the Oireachtas said that as part of efforts to reduce carbon emission in Leinster House by 15 per cent, all buildings in the complex are now metered and subject to regular “switch off” initiatives.

In the private sector, Dell turned off all lights in its facilities during Earth Hour, while AIB minimised lighting in its larger buildings. Abbott Ireland provided free candles to all their staff to encourage participation at home and Ulster Bank said it aimed for lights out in all branches for the entire weekend.

Astronomy Ireland marked the event by organising “telescope nights” for stargazers in Dublin’s Phoenix Park and seven other locations. Blackrock Castle Observatory in Cork, in association with Cork Food Web, held an event of music and stargazing to make use of the dark conditions.

EirGrid says consumers can make further savings by switching off lights in unoccupied rooms, changing to low-energy bulbs, buying energy efficient appliances, switching off computers when not in use and unplugging phone charges when they are not in use.

Earth Hour started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia, with 2.2 million homes and businesses turning their lights off for one hour. Ireland became the first country in Europe to take part last year.