Earth Hour should be a daily practice: Penang exco

GEORGE TOWN – The Penang government is looking to inculcate practices from Earth Hour celebrations, such as turning off non-essential lights and using energy-saving appliances, among local residents.

The state’s environment executive councillor Phee Boon Poh said that it is high time that turning off lights for an hour should become a common daily practice, instead of once a year.

With Penang being no exception to environmental degradation, climate change, and related economic challenges, Phee said that saving energy goes a long way towards reducing the state’s carbon footprint.

This year’s Earth Hour in the state, which will be organised and hosted by the Penang Green Council, is slated to take place at the sprawling Straits Quay retail complex on Saturday (March 25).

All lights in residential and commercial buildings are to be switched off from 8.30pm to 9.30pm on that day to mark the occasion.

Now approaching its 53rd anniversary, the event is celebrated by more than one billion people worldwide, with many using candles for an hour to mark hope for sustainability and to prevent wastage and pollution.

During a press conference at the Tech Dome in Komtar, Phee insisted that people make this a daily practice, adding that the habit of switching lights off will prevent energy wastage.

Asked about how much energy Penang stood to conserve from Earth Hour, Phee said that the state will work with various parties to generate the data.

“The data is important so we can plan out our conservation efforts.”

Phee also encouraged consumers to install energy-saving devices, especially factory operators and commercial entities.

“There are many such devices available in the market. Do purchase them.”

Also present were Penang Green Council general manager Josephine Tan Lei Ling and Tech Dome chief executive Khoo Boo Wooi.

Phee also hopes to introduce a “pyramid scheme” for energy conservation, saying one person can recruit up to five others to participate in Earth Hour.

Their reward would be a chance to save earth from natural destruction, he said, adding that the motto stood to be along the lines of “small actions result in a big impact.”

“Just the small act of switching lights off makes a big difference in safeguarding the environment,” Phee said. 

A total of 73 government and private sector companies are participating in this year’s celebrations. – The Vibes, March 20, 2023