Switch off for Earth Hour this Saturday

Cairns will join with more than 7000 cities across 187 countries to switch off for Earth Hour this weekend.

Earth Hour encourages individuals, communities, and businesses to turn off non-essential electric lights for one hour each year, to raise awareness for energy consumption and effects on the environment.

Mayor Bob Manning said that could extend into other electrical devices.

“As a society, we have become so dependent on electricity to power our lives,” Cr Manning said. “This weekend, we should all take the opportunity to switch off, even if it’s just for an hour.

“You could make the most of it by having a candlelight dinner, or maybe a story telling night with the kids – no electronic devices allowed!

“We are doing our part at Council by switching off non-essential lighting on the night – and every night. We’ve changed our operations as a result of past Earth Hour events.”

Cairns Regional Council has supported Earth Hour since 2008. Since then, Council has almost halved its greenhouse gas emissions.

“This has been achieved through a range of initiatives, including installing solar panels on council buildings that give us a total of more than 1 megawatt of renewable energy – enough to power 278 homes,” Cr Manning said.

Earth Hour will be held this Saturday 30 March from 8.30pm to 9.30pm.

For tips on how to reduce energy consumption for your home or business, and other sustainable living ideas, visit www.cairns.qld.gov.au/community-environment/sustainability.