BANGKOK: Bangkokians have been urged to join residents of other world cities in turning off their lights and unused appliances from 8.30pm to 9.30pm on Saturday (March 23) to mark Earth Hour.
Cities across the world turn dark for an hour on the last Saturday of March every year as a symbolic gesture in the fight against global warming. Earth Hour also serves as a precursor for Earth Day on April 22.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has organised the Earth Hour campaign with the World Wild Fund for Nature (WWF) and other partners since 2008.
The WWF said that each year, some 7,000 cities in 190 countries turn off their unused lights and appliances for 60 minutes to reduce electricity usage, a major contributor to global warming.
In 2023, power usage in the Thai capital saw dropped by 36 megawatts during Earth Hour, BMA deputy permanent secretary Somboon Hormnan said.
The switch-off cut CO2 emissions by 5.2 tonnes and the total electricity bill by 61,324 baht.
This year will also see five Bangkok landmarks go dark for an hour on Saturday night. Light will be eclipsed at the Grand Palace (including the Emerald Buddha Temple), the Temple of Dawn (Wat Arun), the Giant Swing, Rama VIII Bridge and Wat Saket (Golden Mount Temple).
The BMA also urged Bangkokians to use hashtags #EarthHour #BiggestHourForEarth #MyHourForEarth on their social media posts to increase public awareness and show Thais’ commitment to combating global warming. - The Nation/ANN
