Actor Tilak Shekhar has urged Bangaloreans to participate in Earth Hour initiative by switching off non-essential lighting for an hour on March 29 between 8.30 p.m. and 9.30 p.m. The Earth Hour campaign aims at creating awareness on climate change.
“Switching off lights is a small gesture, but I believe that small things can make a big difference,” said the actor at a press conference organised by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) on Monday. “We need to take collective responsibility to ensure a sustainable future.”
The global campaign, initiated by WWF in Sydney in 2007, encourages individuals, companies and governments to voluntarily switch off lights for an hour in support of campaign to save the planet. The campaign has grown into one of the biggest voluntary movements, said Hari Somashekar of WWF-India.
India joined the Earth Hour movement in 2009 and 150 cities in the country participate in it every year, he added. Iconic establishments such as the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Gateway of India and Victoria Memorial participate in the Earth Hour every year.
This year, Earth Hour is not just about symbolically switching off lights for an hour but a call to people, institutions and governments to adopt renewable energy. It will be kicked off with “Pedal for the Planet” a cyclathon on March 22 in New Delhi.
