This story is from March 31, 2012
Plea to switch off light during 'earth hour'
KANPUR: Supporting the global initiative taken by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) to observe 'earth hour' by switching off lights for an hour on March 31, district magistrate MP Agarwal had urged denizens to participate in it by switching off non-essential lights and electrical appliances for an hour from 8.30 pm to 9.30 pm on Saturday. The 'earth hour' is an annual international event in which households and business establishments across the globe switch off non-essential lights for an hour at the appointed time to raise awareness towards the need to take action on climate change. The initiative began in Sydney in 2007, when 2.2 million homes and business offices switched off lights for an hour. In 2008, the message had grown into a global sustainability movement, with 50 million people switching off lights. "Global warming and climate change pose a real challenge to the world. Earth Hour is a symbolic event aimed to engage people from all walks of life in climate change initiative. It should not be a one-day affair and one must follow it in everyday to maintain a natural balance and conserve electricity," said Adarsh.
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