Earth Hour Singapore

Just one hour, don't make it your last
Shutting down your electronics during Earth Hour may not be enough to save the world, but it's a start
Peter Yeo Today Online 26 Mar 11;

At 8.30pm this Saturday, there will be a blackout - a voluntary one. Earth Hour is a global environmental initiative which wants individuals, businesses, governments and communities to do their part for the environment by powering down all energy, including shutting down at power points, turning off personal devices and leaving the car at home.

Last year, the event, held annually in partnership with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), saw its largest voluntary action, with 2 million people participating globally over 128 countries. Besides corporations and individuals, tourist attractions, natural wonders and man-made marvels such as the Eiffel Tower shut off their lights for 60 minutes. For that one hour, much of the world lived by candlelight.

The mission for this year goes beyond the hour-long observance; WWF is encouraging followers of this movement to share their pledge to cut down their carbon footprint online. Individuals as well as corporations can share their pledges on www.earthhour.org/beyondthehour.

Earth Hour executive director Andy Ridley - who helped co-found the event which kicked off in Sydney in 2007 - said: "The Beyond the Hour platform has been built with social media at its core. Social media will play a crucial role for Earth Hour 2011, allowing us to connect with millions of people who are committed to taking lasting action for the planet."

The online platform is translated into 11 languages and integrated with most major social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, Mi xi, RenRen, Maktoob, Skyrock, Xing, Zing and more. To date, more than 1,000 actions have been shared on this dynamic platform.

But can events such as Earth Hour really change attitudes? Ms Carine Seror, director of corporate engagement and Earth Hour campaign manager for WWF Singapore, gave an illustration to suggest that such initiatives could have long-term repercussions.

"The first Coral Triangle Business Summit in Manila that was organised by WWF in conjunction with the Philippines government, was held early last year. It was attended by more than 160 participants, with more than half representing the region's business and industry," she said.

"At the summit, Ms Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, President of the Philippines, announced the signing of four private-public partnerships with the tuna sector and the national adoption of circle hooks to reduce turtle by-catch. It is estimated that the use of circle hooks could prevent the deaths of between 800 to 1,500 turtles annually."

Other laudable achievements held early this year included a gala dinner where more than 600 Indonesian government officials and business leaders joined former American Vice-President and Nobel laureate Al Gore and WWF Indonesia's CEO, Dr Efransiah, in celebrating the United Nation's International Year of the Forest. A discussion to realise how businesses can find forest solutions to combat climate change also took place at this forum.

On March 3, fisheries ministers from Denmark, France, Germany and the United Kingdom signed a declaration in which they committed to an ambitious reform of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). This four-country declaration promises a sustainable use of fisheries resources based on the best available scientific knowledge and an ambitious reform of the CFP with integrated conservation objectives.

Mr Tony Long from the WWF European Policy Office said of the declaration: "The choice is clear: It is either smart fishing or no fishing. If we go on overfishing, there will simply be no commercially viable stocks left."

Ms Seror added: "It is not about stopping the production of commodities and other resources but, rather, on producing them sustainably to ensure that we can feed the needs of a growing population without depleting our planet's resources.

"Overfishing is the single biggest threat to ocean life. As the number, size and power of fishing boats grow, an increasing number of commercial fisheries are pushed to the point of collapse. Destructive fishing methods, such as bottom trawling, are damaging and destroying sensitive marine habitats. And millions of non-target fish are caught and killed daily.

"This has pushed the largest living space on Earth to its limits, threatening not just marine habitats and species but the livelihoods of coastal communities, human health and food security.

"An average of 100,000 tons of seafood is consumed annually in Singapore. Besides being one of the biggest seafood consumers in the Asia-Pacific, we are also an important seafood hub. Almost all of our seafood is imported from the Coral Triangle. In the past, most of us have been unaware of where our fish stocks come from or how they are caught. Much of the seafood in Singapore may be from areas that have been overfished for years."

Ms Seror also said humanity is already using nearly 30 per cent more natural resources than the Earth can replenish. Singapore uses the equivalent of the resources of three planets. She added: "Under a business-as-usual scenario, it is predicted that people will use twice as much of the natural resources than the Earth can replenish. If this happens, a large-scale ecosystem collapse becomes increasingly likely, as does severe climate change.

"We need to find ways to maintain a high standard of living while using far fewer natural resources if we are to prevent this from happening."

According to Ms Seror, it will take the collective efforts of every individual to save our planet, starting with the food we eat, the clothes we buy, the way we travel. To lighten the load on the planet, first understand the impact you place on the earth. By cutting down waste, using renewable energy and supporting sustainable agriculture and fishing practices, we can stave off the execution of our planet, she said.

Peter Yeo is deputy digital media editor at Today.

Keeping the lights out past 60 minutes
Firms heed the call to extend green initiatives beyond today's Earth Hour
Jermain Ng and Hoon Yi Shyuan Business Times 26 Mar 11;

AT 8.30 PM today, do not be alarmed if you find yourself in the dark, as lights around the world will be switched off for 60 minutes in a global display of climate action known as Earth Hour.

Earth Hour kicked off in 2007 in Sydney, Australia, before becoming a global sustainability movement the next year. Singapore, along with more than 80 other countries, joined the green initiative in 2009.

This year's event sees a 15 to 20 per cent increase in business supporters, up from 500 last year. Those that participated previously are also stepping up their efforts this year.

One such place is Changi Airport. Not only will passengers departing from Changi Airport's Terminal 3 find lights at the Departure Hall and Transit Mall dimmed by 80 per cent, those arriving and departing from the Budget Terminal will also see lights at the Arrival and Departure corridors dimmed by as much as 50 per cent.

Singapore's newly established integrated resorts will also be playing a part. At Marina Bay Sands, non-essential lights such as the aesthetic lighting on the roof of the Sands Expo and Convention Centre will be turned off. Furthermore, outdoor lighting across the property would also be dimmed by 20 per cent.

'With the Marina Bay Sands towers so prominent in the Singapore skyline, we hope switching off our facade lighting will help to rally further support,' said George Tanasijevich, interim chief executive officer of Marina Bay Sands and managing director of global development for Las Vegas Sands Corp.

Across hotels in Singapore, many will also follow suit. At the newly opened Park Regis Singapore, lights of the facade logo lighting, driveway and running lights will be turned off while bars will have their lights dimmed. Over at Pan Pacific Orchard, the team is going a step further with Happy Earth Hour to 'encourage hotel guests to leave their rooms to join us in the candle-lit Lobby Lounge to celebrate Earth Hour with everyone'.

Interesting spin

Keppel Group, one of Singapore's largest conglomerates, is also moving towards green initiatives. Through Keppel Land, over 32 commercial and residential properties, as well as hotel developments across Asia in Singapore, China, Indonesia and Vietnam, will switch off non-essential lights during Earth Hour.

Even schools have followed suit with ten in the North West District pledging to turn off their lights for 15 to 30 minutes every day during school hours for the month of March, in support of North West Community Development Council's commitment to Earth Hour 2011. These schools include Ahmad Ibrahim Primary School, St Margaret's Secondary School and Hwa Chong Institution.

The logo for the yearly event has taken on a plus sign this year to become '60+', to encourage people to go 'beyond the hour' - that is, continuing their green initiatives even after the effort to raise awareness is over.

It seems that companies are latching on to the wave. Earlier this year, a call for air-conditioning temperatures to be set at 24 deg C or higher to maximise energy efficiency and cost savings was answered by Resorts World Sentosa, and more than 50 malls, hotels and retailers under the Orchard Road Business Association.

Some have taken this concept and put an interesting spin on it. At CapitaLand properties, not only were non-essential lights turned off, the company also organised a 'Wear Less Day' yesterday, where staff and participating office tenants were encouraged to dress down while the air-conditioning temperatures at their workplaces were turned up.

Of course, cost savings are a positive by-product of being environmentally friendly. 'Achieving energy efficiency makes good business sense as it lowers operating costs for our businesses,' said a Keppel Group spokesman.

At Royal Plaza on Scotts, the 2 deg C increase in temperature can save the hotel between $35,000 and $45,000 per year in energy costs.

'It is gratifying to see the awareness spreading across all pockets of Singapore and people actively seeking to reduce their energy consumption in one way or another,' said Amy Ho, managing director of World Wide Fund for Nature Singapore.