about Earth Hour

March 27, 2009

What a big turn-off

To mark Earth Hour, more than 10,000 people and 450 firms and malls will switch off their lights for one hour tomorrow

By Frankie Chee

Singapore will be in the dark tomorrow night, but it is all for the cause of a brighter future. More than 10,000 people and 450 companies, hotels, malls and schools will switch off their lights for an hour at 8.30pm, as part of the global Earth Hour energy conservation effort. At least 2,700 cities in 84 countries have committed to mark Earth Hour, an initiative by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) to raise awareness of climate change issues and which was launched two years ago. If you are out and about tomorrow night, you will encounter the unusual sight of Singapore landmarks such as Zouk nightclub and Royal Plaza on Scotts hotel, and malls including The Cathay, Wisma Atria and Tangs Orchard all blacked out during primetime. Diners at Royal Plaza on Scotts' restaurants will eat by candlelight, moviegoers at Cathay's cinemas will find the passageways dimmer than usual, shoppers at Tangs will browse darkened window displays and about 30 per cent of store lights will be switched off. At Zouk, Earth Hour puts clubbers in the shade: Unnecessary lighting such as the colour wash on the club's exterior, a fibre-optic installation in its foyer, a plasma wall and the exterior lighting at Wine Bar will be switched off. Downtown, the lights at Suntec City's distinctive Fountain of Wealth and the logos on its mall and office towers will be turned off. Individuals are also doing their bit. Undergraduate Darren Tan, 21, has told his mother to switch off the lights in their private apartment in Potong Pasir during Earth Hour. He says: 'Green awareness is now more apparent - everyone is more aware and conscious of it. And as I grow older, I become more conscious of it too.' Hospitals are also getting in on the act. Alexandra Hospital will turn off the lights in its wards, along some corridors and on the facade of its building. The hospital's chief executive, Mr Liak Teng Lit, says: 'It is after visiting hours and the patients are supposed to be sleeping. 'The hospital believes in the cause. Energy shortages and global warming will be big problems and these are caused by the population. We have to do something about it.' Beverage company Coca-Cola Singapore, whose factory at Tuas operates non-stop, will turn off its sign and the factory's external lighting fixtures as well as those in its administrative building. But the lights in its production and warehouse areas will stay on for the safety of staff operating machinery. Some places are going beyond the one-hour shutdown to show that they are keen greenies. Take, for example, the Hong Leong Group conglomerate. Apart from shutting off the lights at 25 buildings, including the Millennium & Copthorne hotels and Hong Leong Finance, the company is encouraging staff to sleep without air-conditioning at home and hotel staff are roping in guests to participate as well. Electricity in Alexandra Hospital's administrative offices was turned off between noon and 1pm every day this week, while about 40 per cent of its cafeteria lights have been turned off from 10am to noon and 2 to 8pm since Monday. Coca-Cola embarked on a staff awareness drive about Earth Hour, with regular bulletins sent out weekly and a staff suggestion scheme on cutting down energy consumption. It is also switching to energy-saving induction bulbs in its warehouse, which, based on its calculations, should result in a whopping 42,240 kilowatt-hour (kwh) reduction in energy usage monthly. The average energy consumption of a four-room HDB flat is 348kwh a month, while that of a landed property is 1,108 kwh a month. According to Singapore Power, a 100 watt bulb will use 0.1kw per hour, at a cost of 1.8 cents for the period. During Earth Hour last year - when Singapore first took part - 50 million people in 370 cities participated. This year, the initiative seeks to sign up one billion people on its website and will present this figure to world leaders at the Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December. The meeting will determine government policies and actions to combat global warming, replacing the Kyoto Protocol. WWF Singapore's director for corporate responsibility, Ms Carine Seror, tells Life!: 'With this one hour, we can't save or change the world. But it shows world leaders we care about the planet and that it's time to take some real action.' frankiec@sph.com.sg