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Earth Hour: Abu Dhabi gropes in the dark for bright tomorrow

Abu Dhabi - Govt offices, private buildings switch off lights.

Lights were turned off at private and public buildings in the Capital on Saturday to observe the Earth Hour.
Launched in Sydney in 2007, Earth Hour invites people and businesses to turn off their lights for 60 minutes to save energy, lower carbon emissions and raise awareness of the importance of joint action to mitigate climate change.
Various government and private entities joined the campaign by organising events to create awareness on energy conservation.
The Ministry of Energy, in collaboration with Oil company ADCO, organised an event on Saturday evening.
Other major events were organised by the Abu Dhabi City Municipality (ADM) in collaboration with Emirates Wildlife Society; Waste Management Centre (Tadweer), Emergency and Safety Directorate at the Abu Dhabi Police, Union National Bank, Shaikh Zayed Grand Mosque and Environment Agency.
Lights were switched off at the Head Office of Abu Dhabi City Municipality at the Shaikh Zayed Street as well as external municipal centres and municipal facilities for one hour from 8.30pm to 09.30pm. The public and private institutions showed their strong commitment to reducing power-consumption and raising the community awareness about the importance of protecting natural resources and curbing pollution for a safe, stable and healthy environment.
The ADM designed a candle-lit geometric model in the shape of the number 60 nearby the municipality's head office to replicate the Earth Hour logo, to emphasise the importance of the event in recharging the community's responsibility for the sound environmental values, protecting the wildlife, purifying the climate and alerting the public to the impending dangers on environment and the planet as a result of the rising pollution levels worldwide.
A similar candle-lit model was displayed at Al Bateen Road in an event attended by a huge number of community members.
"The municipality's participation in this annual global event underlines its commitment to preserving the environment, addressing the phenomenon of the climate change, saving energy at the local level and reducing greenhouse gas emissions caused by global warming, which represents the largest real challenge facing the planet in its endeavours towards offering means of decent living," said Mussabah Al Murar, General Manager of ADM.
"The municipality started to undertake projects for producing renewable energy based on solar power, and embarked on the actual implementation of energy management project in the existing projects to reduce electricity and water consumption," he added.
Abu Dhabi's Masdar City, a participant of Earth Hour for years, also joined the event by turning off the lights for one hour. Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, CEO of Masdar, asked the people to conserve energy. He said that the annual Zayed Future Energy Prize also showcases the UAE's commitment to sustainability.
To date, the Prize's award winners have reduced carbon emissions by a combined 887 million metric tonnes and enabled 100 million people to use energy more efficiently, saving 65 million MWh of electricity. - haseeb@khaleejtimes.com