http://www.earthhour.org/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkq7Zady4IQMANILA, Philippines - After the "success" of Earth Hour last year, environmentalists expect millions of Filipinos to participate in Earth Hour 2009 on March 28 this year.
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) said Manila and Cebu in the Philippines were among the 76 cities in 62 countries that gave an early commitment to switch off for Earth Hour 2009.
"Seventy-six cities in 62 countries including the Philippines' own Manila and Cebu have committed to switch off for WWF's Earth Hour in 2009. Other Philippine cities expected to participate are Iloilo, Baguio, Davao, San Fernando, Puerto Princesa, Legaspi and Cagayan de Oro," it said on its website.
http://www.wwf.org.ph/main.phpOther cities that committed include Moscow, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, London, Hong Kong, Sydney, Rome, Oslo, Cape Town, Warsaw, Lisbon, Singapore, Istanbul, Mexico City, Toronto, Dubai and Copenhagen.
The extensive WWF conservation network also has more than 30 teams working in countries such as India, Spain, Switzerland, France and the Philippines ready to support a local Earth Hour roll out.
"Icons switching off include the Philippines' largest shopping mall – SM Mall of Asia, the world's tallest hotel building in Dubai – the Burj Dubai and the tallest free-standing structure in the Americas – the CN Tower in Toronto," WWF said.
WWF said the campaign hopes to reach out to more than one billion people in 1,000 cities around the world.
Earth Hour asks individuals, businesses and governments to switch off lights for just one hour on Saturday, March 28, at 8:30 p.m. to create a platform of support for action on climate change.
"It aims to demonstrate unprecedented solidarity and provide a visual global mandate that will put the heat on world leaders meeting in Copenhagen in December 2009 to strike a new global deal on climate change," WWF said.
The lights-out initiative, which began in Sydney in 2007 as a public awareness-raising campaign, has grown significantly over the past two years.
"When leaders gather in Copenhagen in December 2009 to negotiate a new deal on climate they must feel that the eyes of the world are upon them. Earth Hour provides an opportunity for the public to send a powerful signal that they are watching and expect action," WWF International Director General Jim Leape said.
"We believe that Filipinos can unite when driven by the common good:
Manny Pacquiao's fights attest to this. The growing realization for the need to act on climate change, coupled with the success of Earth Hour Philippines last March provides us with a springboard to launch a bigger and better campaign next year. On 28 March 2009 we aim to enjoin 10 million Filipinos to join the fight against climate change by simply turning off their lights," added WWF-Philippines Climate Change and Energy Programme Head Yeb Saño.
Saño added Earth Hour couldn't have come at a better time as December sees the passage of the Philippine Renewable Energy Act, a landmark legislation which took all of 19 years to pass.
"The climate movement is in full-swing. Earth Hour is our best chance to meet the challenge with unity and purpose," Saño said.
David Miller, Mayor of Toronto and chair of the C40 Large Cities Climate Leadership Group said the C40 Climate Leadership Group is about cities working together to drive down greenhouse gas emissions.
"That is why as Chair of the C40 I support Earth Hour. It's crucial that cities and the public come together to take action against climate change and Earth Hour provides a great platform to do just that," he said.
Earth Hour Global Executive Director Andy Ridley adds that 2009 is the planet's "destiny year" with critical decisions needed to be made at the Copenhagen meeting on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
"2009 is the year we decide the future of the earth. It is the year the world finally agrees on a plan to massively reduce carbon emissions across the globe. This is the time to invest in new ways of doing business in a new low-carbon economy. The sum of our actions today can change history and secure the future of our planet," he said.
Earth Hour is a global WWF climate change initiative. Individuals, businesses, governments and communities are invited to turn out their lights for one hour on March 28, 2009 at 8:30 p.m. to show their support for action on climate change.
The Philippines was among the first to confirm participation for Earth Hour 2008. Last March 29, Pasay, Manila and Parañaque Cities held a switch-off ceremony and enveloped the entire Roxas Boulevard seaside strip in symbolic darkness. Makati followed suit with its own set of celebrations.
"Across the nation, from Baguio to Tawi-Tawi, lights-off activities were instigated in offices, restaurants, public parks, homes and malls in the Philippines' largest display of solidarity against climate change," WWF said.
WWF, Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) and the Philippine Electricity Market Corporation estimates that more than a million Filipinos participated, saving 56MWh of energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 30-tons in Luzon alone – equivalent to shutting down an entire coal-fired power plant for an hour.
In 2009, Earth Hour Philippines aims to reach out to at least 10 million Filipinos
