KOLKATA: With under 24 hours to go for Earth Hour, the city is still groping in the dark about how to register its vote in the first global election between Earth and global warming. The darkness, however, will be dissipated in a rather novel manner with a five-star hotel hosting only candle-lit dinners that evening.
The response will be presented at the global climate change conference in Copenhagen. World Wildlife Fund, the lead initiator of the event, is targeting a billion votes for Earth to tell world leaders that it is time to act against global warming.
Till Thursday, only a few corporate houses like Wipro, ITC Hotels and banks like HDFC, ICICI, StanChart and HSBC had signed up for Saturday's voluntary blackout between 8.30 pm and 9.30 pm. Banks have agreed to switch off computers and lights. At Wipro, awareness programmes have been conducted and an Earth Hour page put up on its intranet.
At ITC Sonar Kolkata, lights will be down to the minimum. It has also created an Earth Hour corner. "We are always committed to the environment and we want to create awareness because people need to know," general manager Ranvir Bhandari said.
Efforts are also on to switch off lights at illuminated landmarks such as Victoria Memorial, Howrah bridge, Shaheed Minar and Indian Museum at the appointed hour.
If residents of Kolkata vote emphatically on Saturday, it could save a whopping 1.35 million units of electricity or Rs 52.65 lakh! On Saturday morning, WWF will bring out a rally with school students to raise awareness on energy conservation.
The campaign has received unprecedented support in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad and several smaller towns. Mumbai's Air India building on Marine Drive has agreed to switch off the lights. So has Ashok Hotel in Delhi.
Earth Hour began in Sydney in 2007 when 2.2 million homes and businesses switched off lights for an hour. In 2008, 50 million people switched off. Global landmarks such as Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Rome's Colosseum and Sydney Opera House stood in darkness.
This year, 84 countries have pledged to take part. Among landmarks that will plunge into darkness include the Sphinx and Great Pyramids of Giza, the Acropolis in Greece, Empire State Building in the US and Petronas Towers in Malaysia.
