Earth Hour - Creating The BuZz!!!

1. What is Earth Hour?

Earth Hour is World Wildlife Fund's global initiative where individuals, businesses and governments turn off their lights for one hour to show their support for action on climate change.

Earth Hour is a symbolic event designed to engage people from all walks of life in the climate change discussion to send a strong message to our political leaders that we want them to take meaningful action on climate change.

The largest climate event in history where millions of people around the world will unite by turning off their lights for one hour, Earth Hour, to demand action on the climate crisis.


2. When is Earth Hour?

Earth Hour 2009 takes place on Saturday, March 28, 2009 at 8:30 pm local time.


3. Which cities have signed up for Earth Hour?

Already cities in more than 80 countries around the world have committed to Earth Hour 2009.


4. What do we hope to accomplish through Earth Hour 2009?

Through Earth Hour, WWF hopes to create political momentum for enacting national climate legislation and a global climate treaty.

Through Earth Hour, WWF will continue to educate and raise awareness about the climate crisis and offer ideas and solutions that people can merge into their daily lives.

Through Earth Hour, WWF aims to unify people's voices from around the world who are demanding action form our elected officials to solve the climate crisis.


5. What happened during Earth Hour in 2008?

Earth Hour 2008 was an important step in the fight against climate change. Over 50 million people, representing over 400 cities on all seven continents, turned out their lights in the largest climate event of all time.

6. What does a pledge to turn out our lights involve and commit me to?

Participating in Earth Hour is easy. All you have to do is sign up, tell your friends /co-workers about it and then turn off all of your non-essential lighting on March 28th at 8:30 pm. While signing up, you are not committing to anything specific. Rather, you are agreeing that strong action needs to be taken to find a solution to the climate crisis.


7. Who can participate in Earth Hour?

Anyone. Earth Hour is an inclusive event and everyone is invited to participate. WWF will provide tools online to enable any town, community, school, individual or organisation to be part of the event.

8. Do I have to turn off ALL of my electricity for Earth Hour?

NOT AT ALL!!! Through Earth Hour we are asking people to turn off all non-essential lighting. Emergency lighting, televisions and computers can stay on for the hour. The main point of Earth Hour is to unite people, companies and governments around the world through the symbolic flip of a switch. Earth Hour in itself will not lower our carbon footprint, rather, it sends a signal to those in positions of power that we as individuals and communities demand action.

The decision on which lights to turn off can be made individually, but it usually involves shutting overhead lights in rooms (whether it is your house or a business), outdoor lighting that does not impact safety, computers, decorative lights, neon signs for advertising, televisions, desk lamps, etc.

9. Will my city go completely black?

Earth Hour is not a black-out!!! It is a voluntary power shutdown of non-essential, decorative lighting by its participants. For businesses in city skyscrapers or for government buildings, it involves turning off the lights at the end of the business day the Friday before Earth Hour and not turning them back on until that Monday morning. So the event will be more of a fadeout to gray than an abrupt shift to black.

There is usually no instant dramatic difference, but rather a gradual power shutdown starting the day prior.

Earth Hour means turning off non-essential lighting only. Lights necessary for public safety will not go out.


10. Are there any events planned for Earth Hour 2009?

Details of local Earth Hour events can be found at http://www.earthhour.org./ It will be updated constantly so if there is anything posted for your city, you can plan your own event or check back frequently for updates.

For Kota Kinabalu Sabah,

At Waterfront Kota Kinabalu, there will be a countdown to 8:30pm and most outlets will switch off non-essential lights. Some pubs like The Loft and Shamrock will be having their own activities, games etc. ALL NIGHT LONG.

At Nexus Karambunai, they are having a bonfire on the beach with traditional dance performances. I will be at Nexus from 8pm for about one hour or so. And will eventually end up at Waterfront (Author sayz: well, it depends...hehe)


11. What is Earth Hour's relationship with WWF?

Earth Hour is a World Wildlife Fund-led limitative which relies strongly on the support of valued partners. While WWF is the primary organisation behind Earth Hour, many other groups and NGOs are supporting Earth Hour in 2009.

12. Why is WWF dealing with climate change?

WWF is committed to saving the planet's most threatened habitats and species, including tigers, rhinos, elephants and great apes species. To do this effectively, WWF must focus on the most imminent threats, climate change being an overarching issue for all of them.

Simply put, climate change is a game changer. It threatens to undo the great progress we've been making in conserving the world's most important and most threatened regions and animals.


13. What are the next steps AFTER turning out ones lights?

Earth Hour is just the start. After the lights go out around the world, we hope that conversations will continue on climate change and that people will take the initiative to make small changes in their lives to be more carbon-efficient. We encourage simple but effective energy-saving measures such as installing compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL), which are more efficient and last much longer than traditional incandescent bulbs, choosing energy-efficient appliances, making sure their car tyres are properly inflated and unplugging electronic devices when they are not in use. WWF will spend the rest of the year taking the voices of the people who participated in Earth Hour to our policy makers and work with them on finding ways to get us out of the climate crisis the world is facing.

Support Earth Hour, YOU can make a difference!!! (^_^)