COIMBATORE: ‘Earth Hour’ is part of the World Wildlife Fund’s (WWF) initiative that began in Sydney in 2007 as a one-city campaign when over two million people switched off their lights for an hour to convey their support for action on climate change.
In 2008 the campaign went global with over 50 million people in 371 cities across 35 countries taking part. In 2009, the Earth Hour is scheduled for March 28 when more than one billion people in 1,000 cities across the world will switch off electricity from 8.30 p.m. to 9.30 p.m. Nearly 75 countries, including India, have committed to participate in WWF’s Earth Hour in 2009. The campaign will encourage individuals, businesses and governments to switch off lights for one hour.
Taking the concept forward, Greenwings, the student association of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), will start the Earth Hour campaign on March 21.
The TNAU campus, including the hostels and staff quarters, will go without electricity from March 21 to March 28 between 8.30 p.m. and 9.30 p.m.
The initiative will begin on the World Forest Day and culminate on March 28 with a candle night vigil when most of the world will join in the Earth Hour.
Digu Aruchamy, final year student of Energy and Environmental Engineering, and the Executive Director of Greenwings, told The Hindu that he had got in touch with WWF and expressed their interest in taking part in the Earth Hour. “Only Mumbai and Delhi are taking part. We wanted to show that even smaller cities like Coimbatore were interested. We have received outreach material from WWF and we are using the same among the students of the university to create awareness about climate change and a green campus”.
K. Vanangamudi, Dean (Agriculture), said students would be involved in various activities pertaining to campaigning on energy consumption.
“We are already taking many measures to make the campus green and reduce the carbon cover. Most of the incandescent lights have been replaced with compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) and solar water heaters have replaced conventional heaters,” he said.
A signature campaign would be held wherein a large banner would be put up at a prominent place in the university on which staff and students would sign. The signed banner would be presented to the government to stress the urgency of the present environmental situation.
