1 million homes to observe Earth Hour

• Source: Global Times
• [03:04 March 26 2010]
• Comments

By Yin Hang

Hundreds of businesses and homes in Beijing will join millions of people around the world and turn off their lights for one hour tomorrow night, all in a global effort to do something to help fight climate change.

Many landmarks including the Forbidden City have signed up to participate in Earth Hour 2010. They will turn off their lights promptly at 8:30 pm tomorrow night for one hour.

Chen Zheng, 28, of Beijing, who is encouraging his friends to take part in the event by writing about it on his blog, said one hour is not long.

"I will choose to sleep at home or go out for a walk instead of shopping. Because if you go shopping or hang out at places where they cannot turn off the lights, it means you are against the event," Chen told the Global Times.

More than 400 enterprises and 1.2 million people from more than 30 cities across the country will participate. Globally, more than 2,500 cities in 118 countries and regions will turn off lights at iconic landmarks.

According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), which started the event, countless more people in China have shown interest in Earth Hour.

Su Xiaowei, Earth Hour of WWF China, told the Global Times that various activities are planned for Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Fujian and Xi'an under the theme of "low-carbon" economy tomorrow.

"Up to 1 million Chinese have signed up to join the event through the Internet this year," Su said. "Please just sacrifice an hour, to seriously think about our planet. That's our purpose of the event," Su said.

In Shanghai, the government will switch off landscape lamps for one hour.

The 2010 Earth Hour advertisements were posted on 250 buses and 104 outdoor large screens throughout the city.

Eleven campuses in Nanjing will also turn off their lights. The city's Public Sanitation Bureau said more than 80 buildings will go dark for an hour that night.

It is the first time for the ancient city of Xi'an to participate in the event. The lights on the Bell Tower, Giant Wild Goose Pagoda and the Drum Tower will all go dark.

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