Earth Hour supporters target more participants

CEBU, Philippines - Cebuanos can take part in counteracting the effects of global warming and raising awareness on climate change issues not only by switching off non-essential lights for an hour on Saturday, March 27, but also by simply clicking the mouse.

Councilor Nestor Archival, chairman of the executive committee of Cebu Earth Hour Core Group, told reporters yesterday that concerned individuals can support Earth Hour by simply logging on to the Earth House website www.earthhour.org to have their “Vote Earth” counted.

Concerned individuals can also visit the Earth Pilipinas website by clicking entering the link http://greenarmynetwork.net./earthhour2010.

“We want atong participation, aside from switching off our lights kay ang pag-vote,” Archival said. He also encouraged all Earth House advocates by inviting friends to be members of their network.

The concept, he said, is that those who will be part to the Circle of Earth Hour advocates will each, in turn, would invite 10 new Earth Hour advocates, which would lead toward building “a community of Earth Hour advocates.”

This year’s Earth House countdown will be held on Saturday, March 27, from 8:30 to 9:30 pm at SM City Cebu, Ayala Center Cebu, Persimmon Urban Village, Talisay City and Danao City.

Online voting booths would also be situated at SM City Cebu and Ayala Center Cebu on the same day.

Archival said they are impressed with last year’s initiative wherein the country was able to save 600 megawatts of power. He said they are optimistic to achieve the 40 million watts target in Cebu alone.

Earth Hour, according to Luz Arciuge, information officer of the Department of Energy, is a symbolic act of changing one’s lifestyle, to use less energy, and reduce carbon footprint. It is an anti-climate change event organized by the international environment conservation group World Wildlife Fund.

Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal recently issued a pastoral letter asking all parishes and church institutions to join the annual event. The Archdiocese has been joining Earth Hour since 2007.

Fr. Tito Soquino, head of social and media action center of the Basilica Del Santo Niño, said earlier they will call the Catholic faithful to raise public awareness of climate change through their sermons.

Aside from the Catholic Church, the city government and other cause-oriented organizations are urging citizens to join Earth Hour which has a global target of one billion participants.

Included as active participants are Department of Energy, Philippine National Police, University of San Carlos, Aboitez Equity Ventures, Visayan Electric Company, Rotary Cebu, Hotels Resorts Restaurants Association of Cebu, National Grid Corporation of the Philippines, Ocean Care, Jaycees, Island Souvenirs, PBSP, REACT and other private establishments and companies.

Meanwhile, Aboitiz has lined up a series of activities aimed at strengthening public awareness on the urgent need for a long-term collective action to save planet Earth.

Earth Hour’s switch-off, which was launched way back 2007 in Sydney, Australia.Ethel Natera, spokesperson of the Visayan Electric Company Inc. in a press conference said that they expect to save more than 45 megawatts of power within the one-hour switch-off.

“We hope that there will be more people turning off their lights for one hour because many now are aware on this event,” Natera said. — Marjun A. Baguio and Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon/JMO   (FREEMAN NEWS)