Calbayog City supports observance of Earth Hour 2009

Calbayog City, March 16, 2009/ Come March 28, 2009, the whole city of Calbayog will put their lights out for just one hour, if only the city could have its way.

This morning City Vice Mayor Ronald Aquino led the ceremonial signing of the Pledge of Commitment for the observance of Earth Hour 2009.

Organized by the World Wildlife Fund in Sydney two years ago, Earth Hour is an international annual event which aims to give an opportunity to the people in the world to have their voices heard on the very important issue of global warming and to demand action on climate change.

For this year, the Earth hour is slated on March 28, when lights should be put out from 8:30 to 9:30 in the evening.

According to Vice Mayor Aquino, Mayor Mel Senen Sarmiento will lead in the ceremonial “lights out” at the city hall and this will include the switching off of lights at the public park and plaza, government buildings and the city streets. Even though it is not compulsory for every household or establishment to observe the Earth Hour, still Aquino encouraged everybody who has household appliances or anything that runs on electricity to switch them off in order to give mother earth a rest, even for just one hour on said date.

In signing the said commitment, the city also agrees to support any activity that will aid in the successful observance of earth hour. With this, Calbayog City becomes one with almost 2,000 towns and cities in 80 countries across the globe who pledged to support earth hour 2009. Even the romantic City of Paris will turn out the lights of its famous Eiffel Tower in support of the activity.

According to the earth hour’s website, this lights out initiative began as a one-city environmental campaign in Sydney, Australia in 2007, but has evolved into a grassroots action that has captured the attention of the citizens of the world. In 2008, 371 cities across 35 countries turned their lights out in a united call for action on climate change. For this year, the organizers expected 1,000 cities and towns to join the campaign, but for just a week before earth hour, the number is almost double, and among those counted is the City of Calbayog. (ELEEN S. LIM, Radyo Ng Bayan-Calbayog)