Today, Rwandans are expected to join the rest of the world to mark ‘Earth Hour,’ a global initiative on climate change adaptation.The worldwide event held towards the end of March is meant to encourage households and businesses to turn off their non-essential lights for one hour. It aims at raising awareness about the need to take action on climate change.An initiative of Earth Hour Global that started in Sydney, Australia, in 2007, Earth Hour is taking place for the first time in Rwanda today from 8.30pm to 9.30pm.According to Christine Ashimwe, an environmentalist and the country manager of Earth Hour, all they ask households and business owners is to willingly turn off lights they do not need at that particular moment.Ashimwe said the idea behind Earth Hour is that the power we use comes mainly from water and she argues that people should consider reducing power consumption, which saves some water for other purposes.“When you are in a dining room, for example, why can’t you turn off lights in the washroom?” she probed.During Earth Hour, businesses and households are also requested to switch off some electronic equipment, which they would not need for that particular time and beyond.By encouraging this symbolic hour, the initiators suppose that people can make it a habit to reduce green gas emission.Andy Ridley, the executive director of Earth Hour Global, said, “Earth Hour is an opportunity for the global community to speak with one voice on climate change, while at the same time coming together in celebration of one thing every single person on the planet has in common.”
