Source: Xinhua
03-31-2009 09:22
Special Report: Tech MaxBEIJING, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Lights went out at landmark buildings and homes across the world on Saturday for Earth Hour 2009, part of a global initiative to highlight the threat of climate change.
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| As for the 3rd-grader Daniel Klina, one hour at a regular weekend evening doesn't mean much, but Earth Hour on Saturday evening mattered a lot.(File photo) |
Time zone by time zone, some 4,000 cities and towns in 88 countries and regions joined the global event initiated by the World Wildlife Fund to dim nonessential lights from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
With diesel generators switched off, the one-hour lights off campaign officially began on the Chatham Islands, a small chain some 800 km east of New Zealand.
New Zealand became one of the first countries to switch off the power. Auckland's Sky Tower, the Beehive (parliament building) in Wellington and Christchurch's Cathedral Square were some of the country's landmarks taking part.
In Antarctica, New Zealand's 26-member winter team at Scott Base, where temperatures are close to minus 30 degrees Celsius, shut down to minimum safety lighting and switched off all unnecessary appliances and computers.
In Sydney, famous harbor landmarks of Sydney Opera House and the arch-like Harbor Bridge were plunged into darkness on Saturday night, with tens of thousands of residents and businesses also turning their lights off for the global event.
"We need massive change - one hour in terms of change is not that much," the Australian Associated Press reported, quoting Earth Hour director Andy Ridley.
The campaign then went west. Lights at landmarks in South Korea, China, India, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines were dimmed as people celebrated with candle-lit picnics and concerts.
