[ad_1]
Cities around the world were turning off their lights on Saturday for Earth Hour, and this year’s event highlighted the link between the destruction of nature and the increase in outbreaks of diseases such as Covid-19.
In London, the Houses of Parliament, the London Eye, the Shard skyscraper and the neon signs of Piccadilly Circus were among the landmarks that flicked the switches.
“It is fantastic news that Parliament is once again participating in Earth Hour, bringing together benchmarks across the country and the world to raise awareness about climate change,” said Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the House of Commons.
“It demonstrates our commitment to improving sustainability … and that we are playing our role in reducing energy consumption,” he said.
In Paris, the three stages of the Eiffel Tower progressively darkened, but there were few people to look at, as the entire country is under a Covid-19 curfew at 7 p.m. The tower has been closed to the public since the October 30 due to the pandemic.
In Rome, the lights went out in the 2,000-year-old Colosseum as police enforcing the coronavirus movement restrictions in Italy reviewed the papers of a small crowd of onlookers.
Asia had kicked off the event after nightfall with the skylines of metropolises from Singapore to Hong Kong darkening, as well as iconic landmarks like the Sydney Opera House.
Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate and Moscow’s Red Square also joined the annual initiative calling for action on climate change and the environment.
After Europe, Earth Hour moves to the west of the Americas with the Empire State Building in New York, the Obelisk of Buenos Aires and the Museum of Tomorrow in Rio among the places that dim the lights.
For this year, organizers said they want to highlight the link between the destruction of the natural world and the increasing incidence of diseases, such as Covid-19, making the leap from animals to humans.
Experts believe that human activity such as widespread deforestation, destruction of animal habitats and climate change are driving this increase, warning that more pandemics could occur if nothing is done.
“Whether it is a decrease in pollinators, fewer fish in the ocean and rivers, the disappearance of forests or a greater loss of biodiversity, the evidence that nature is in free fall is increasing,” said Marco Lambertini, CEO of WWF, which organizes Earth Hour. “And this is due to the way we live our lives and manage our economies.
“Protecting nature is our moral responsibility, but losing it also increases our vulnerability to pandemics, accelerates climate change and threatens our food security.”
In Singapore, people on the waterfront watched the skyscrapers darken and in a nearby park, Gardens by the Bay, the lights of a group of futuristic-looking tree sculptures went out.
Earth Hour is about “more than just saving energy, it’s more like remembering our impact on the environment,” 18-year-old Ian Tan told AFP at the park.
But he wasn’t convinced that the event, which has been running since 2007, made a big difference.
“An hour is not enough for us to remember that climate change is actually a problem. I really don’t see [Earth Hour] as very significant, “he said.
In Hong Kong, people at viewpoints over the city watched the lights dim on hordes of crowded skyscrapers, while in South Korea’s capital Seoul, the historic Namdaemun Gate went dark.
In Thailand, Bangkok’s ultra-popular CentralWorld shopping mall counted until 8.30pm before its outdoor glass displays went off for an hour, though inside, the mall seemed to be operating as usual.
