Response to Earth Hour Singapore 2009 better than last year

Lynda Hong, Channel NewsAsia 29 Mar 09;

SINGAPORE: Response to Saturday's Earth Hour event in Singapore was better than the inaugural one in 2008.

Organisers said that besides those who had pledged to take part in the event to raise awareness of climate change, thousands of others observed it in their own way.

More than 2,000 people were at the Esplanade Park to see hotels and office buildings in the area switch off their lights for one hour.

Thousands more took part in activities in the heartlands, organised by Singapore's community development councils.

Earth Hour is a global initiative by the World Wide Fund for Nature to highlight global warming and climate change.

- CNA/yt

What they did in the darkness
Hotels cashed in and guests rejoiced
Today Online 30 Mar 09;

As the lights dimmed and temperatures soared, the cash registers began to ring.

Earth Hour proved to be lucrative for some hotels that took part in the initiative to help spread the message of energy conservation, with their restaurants and bars packed with customers who embraced the cause or, were at least enticed by promotional discounts and free beer.

Marriott Hotel’s Crossroads Café — which gave a free half-pint of beer for every pint ordered during Earth Hour from 8.30pm to 9.30pm on Saturday night — enjoyed a full house of patrons who wined and dined in candlelight.

“The turnout was overwhelming. The response from the guests and associates alike were encouraging. They were supportive of the idea of switching off the lights at Crossroads Cafe and were happy to be able to participate and support this worthy cause,” its hotel spokesperson told Today.

Over at Parkroyal Hotel, its Spice Brasserie and Hai Xiang restaurants were also full, with many of the guests going there specially to support the “lights off” initiative, a hotel spokesperson told Today. Diners broke into cheers and applause when lights were turned off at Spice Brasserie and candles lit, she said.

And a couple who got married at the hotel had the lights turned down in the foyer outside the wedding ballroom, and instead bathed it in the soft romantic glow of candlelight.

At Grand Copthorne Waterfront, its “sleep naked” campaign in line with Earth Hour aroused the interest of many of its guests. Guests and staff were encouraged not only to switch off the lights but also turn off the air-conditioning.

Earth Hour is a global initiative by the World Wide Fund for Nature to raise awareness of climate change.

Singapore is one of 88 countries around the world that took part this year, the second year it is being observed here. This year, more than 10,000 people took part and more than 450 businesses switched off or dimmed their nonessential lights for60 minutes. Neo Chai Chin