Earth Hour : Yes, one hour can make a difference

Dubai - Organisers and residents switched off their lights, uniting in harmony under candle lights and open umbrellas.

As the clock ticked 8.30pm on Saturday, Dubai's landmarks like Burj Khalifa and Burj Al Arab went dark, joining 7,000 cities and 175 countries and territories in marking the world's 10^th annual Earth Hour.
Under the theme 'Highlight Climate Action,' organisers and residents switched off their lights, uniting in harmony under candle lights and open umbrellas.
Hundreds of residents joined Dewa's Earth Hour Walk amid celebrations held at Bay Avenue Park. Mohammed Saeed Al Tayer, Managing Director and CEO of DEWA, were among the VIPS attending the walk.
Laila Mostafa Abdullatif, the deputy director general at Emirates Wildlife Society (EWS-WWF) - organiser of Earth Hour - said the movement is global, but it is relevant to every country across the planet, including the UAE.
Read: During Earth Hour, UAE residents think solar
"Over the last 10 years, Earth Hour has gone from strength to strength globally and locally. With the increased spotlight on climate change over the last two years in the UAE, we really hope to see more people take action on climate change," she said.
This year, the UAE saved 244MWh of electricity and 96 tonnes of CO2 emissions. The country has saved a massive amount of energy over nine Earth Hours, amounting to 1.181GwH of electricity and 1,054 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.
Last year, Dubai witnessed a 222MWh reduction in the consumption of electricity, and a reduction of 96 tonnes in carbon dioxide emissions during Earth Hour.
Since scientists recorded the Earth's hottest temperatures in the modern era for the third year in a row in 2016, officials said the call to "change climate change" has never been more urgent.
Nations, including the UAE, agreed in Paris in 2015 to limit average global warming to 2 degrees Celsius over pre-industrial temperatures.
sherouk@khaleejtimes.com

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