Switch off for Earth Hour today, save energy

The seventh year of the 60+ Earth Hour, an annual global initiative to drive home the message of saving energy, will be observed on Saturday between 8.30pm and 9.30pm.

The seventh year of the 60+ Earth Hour, an annual global initiative to drive home the message of saving energy, will be observed on Saturday between 8.30pm and 9.30pm.

According to Earth Hour India’s website, last year five million Indians across 56 cities showed their support and saved around 1,000 megawatt (MW) of power.

“This year we will save over 1 lakh kilowatt (KW). In Powai, 51.77 lakh watt of power was saved in 2011 and this year we expect to double that,” said an official from World Wide Fund (WWF).

However, the response from Mumbai has been declining. Last year, the western suburbs had witnessed a marginal dip with Reliance Energy recording 14.5MW drop consumption, while there was no change in the eastern suburbs, according to Mahavitaran.

Reliance Energy said it will participate in the initiative by switching off power supply at its establishments. “We appeal to Mumbaiites to switch on only essential lights during Earth Hour and help spread the message of environmental protection and conservation,” said a spokesperson.

Ravi Singh, secretary general and CEO, WWF India, said, “We have noticed a lot more enthusiasm from smaller cities this year. Also, people between 18 and 25 years are more involved.”

Elsie Gabriel, founder, Young Environmentalists Programme, a non-profit organisation, said, “Electricity consumption in our country has been increasing at such high speed because of population growth and economic development. We need to promote renewable energy in all spheres.”

YEP will be holding a candlelight vigil at a hotel in Powai and will switch off lights for one
hour.