Lights out for Earth Hour! (Southwark Liberal Democrats)

Southwark Liberal Democrats <info@southwark-libdems.org.uk>

Lights out for Earth Hour!

March 10, 2009 11:00 AM
Originally published by Simon Hughes MP

Simon Hughes is pressing for the Houses of Parliament to be plunged into darkness in support of the WWF's global Earth Hour campaign.

On 28 March at 8.30pm (GMT) individuals, communities, businesses are being asked to turn off their lights for one hour in support of taking action against climate change. The campaign is hoping that over a billion people will sign up.

Mr Hughes has today written to the Speaker of the House of Commons requesting that the Palace of Westminster participates in the global act. In his letter, Mr Hughes said, "I believe that this single act will make a very important statement that through small individual and collective actions we can make a difference to help protect our environment."

So far many iconic landmarks from around the world will switch off their lights. This includes the Forth Bridge, the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Table Mountain in Cape Town and Sydney Opera House.

The Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly have both announced their participation and it is now time for the UK parliament to follow suit.

Commenting Simon Hughes said: "In the year of the critical Copenhagen Climate Change Summit, parliament as well as people need to show their firm commitment to take action. Participation in Earth Hour would be a symbolic gesture of our determination to do so."