Lights out for Earth Hour

The lights will go out all over Bermuda tomorrow as the island marks the global Earth Hour.

Minister for Economic Development Grant Gibbons today urged Bermuda residents to celebrate the event by switching off lights and non-essential electrical equipment for an hour, starting at 8.30pm.

Dr Gibbons said: “Earth Hour aims to increase awareness and challenge individuals, corporations and indeed governments to adopt energy efficiency and energy reduction initiatives.”

He added: “Our wish, and indeed our challenge, is to increase the level of commitment to energy conservation and intelligent energy use within our community and to start focusing on simple changes that we can include in our everyday lives.”

A special event will be held at Hamilton’s City Hall tomorrow afternoon and evening, leading up to the 8.30pm start time of Earth Hour.

A total of 135 countries around the world and hundreds of millions of people are expected to switch off their lights for an hour in a symbolic green gesture.

The Bermuda event is being led by environmental charity Greenrock, with Government backing.

Dr Gibbons said “By turning off all non-essential lighting controlled by the City of Hamilton, Dockyard and St George’s during Earth Hour 2013, we are showing our commitment to basic everyday solutions for conserving energy.”

He added that individuals and organisations that seek to save energy not only contributed to a greener world, but also saved on energy costs, promoted economic security and “improved their bottom line.”

Dr Gibbons said: “Support for Earth Hour is consistent with Government’s commitment to encourage energy efficiency and conservation.”

Greenrock’s Judith Landsberg added that it was the fifth year Bermuda had celebrated Earth Hour – and the third celebrated at City Hall.

She said that Government had set a target of reducing electricity consumption by 30 per cent by the end of the decade and cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 50 per cent.

Ms Landsberg added: “Earth Hour is about getting together – it is about the power of each person. You can stretch out your finger to turn out your lights and by doing that can join hundreds of millions of people around the planet who believe that we can confront the problem of global climate change and that by acting together, we can make a difference.”

The free City Hall event runs from 5pm to 10pm and will feature a green living exhibit, environmental films and discussion, as well as information from other environmental organisations.