Vietnam joins Earth Hour 2010 with more practical activities which involve 22 provinces and cities and more than 1,000 businesses.

Earth hour run by the World Wild Fund for Nature (WWF) began in Sydney, Australia in 2007 to raise public awareness of energy saving and combating climate change.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called Earth Hour “both a warning and a beacon of hope”.

“By switching off non-essential lights for an hour, people will join a symbolic display that can inspire the change we so urgently need. As we watch the lights go out from continent to continent, let us reflect on the fragility and importance of our natural heritage and pledge to protect it for a sustainable future for all.” he said.

Earth Hour 2009 saw the participation of nearly 1 billion people in 4,000 cities throughout 88 countries in the world including Vietnam and Earth Hour organisers hope that the event this year will reach more than 1 billion around the globe in more than 6,000 cities to affirm their determination to fight climate change for the future of planet.

Vietnam, which is among the five nations in the world most vulnerable to climate change, will join this year’s Earth Hour campaign on a larger scale and with more practical activities.

The event is expected to take place in 22 cities and provinces nationwide, involving the active participation of more than 1,000 businesses.

The symbolic switching off of lights will show Vietnam’s strong commitment to minimizing green house gases and to raising public awareness.

Earth Hour will see some astonishing sights: the world’s great icons, important buildings and famous venues throughout Europe, the Asia-Pacific, Middle East and America will ‘fall asleep’ from 8.30pm to 9.30pm on March 27.

What will be our future as the earth’s temperature continues to rise? Scientists predict that even if human kind immediately stopped emitting carbon dioxide, the earth’s average temperature would still continue to increase by as much as1.6-1.8 Co over the next years and over the next 500 years. But in reality, carbon dioxide will continue to be emitted, making the earth hotter by two more degrees Celsius.

In Vietnam, an Earth Hour Gala will be held from 8.30pm to 9.30pm in Ho Chi Minh City Square. To attend this event, you can visit www.earthour.org.vn for more information.

For 60 minutes, Earth Hour will help us sit together and think over what we did to the earth and work out solutions to its problems. Earth Hour takes place once a year but each person can create an Earth Hour of his or her own.

Earth Hour sends a strong and clear message to all authorities: the effects of climate change have gone beyond the borders between nations. We must listen and join hands against climate change for the benefit of the Earth and future generations.

VietNamNet/VOV