Today, over 1,100 towns and cities will share Earth Hour (EH)?a grassroots movement aimed at raising climate consciousness. You switch off your lights for 60 minutes to become a part of it. Starting at 8.30 pm local time, EH will once again traverse the globe and more than 1,200 of the world?s best landmarks will kill their lights, in what the organisers describe as a ?24-hour wave of hope and action.?

Since its inception in Sydney in 2007, EH?organised by WWF?has captured the entire world?s imagination and become a global phenomenon. India joined EH in March 2009, with Delhi as its lead city. In India alone, approximately five million people turned off the lights and saved about 1,000 mw power (750 mw in Delhi).

EH 2010 is hoping to see nearly one billion people participate across 92 countries on all continents. Seventeen new countries and regions are first-time participants. Over 57 capital cities and all G-20 member countries will be making a mark this time. The low-lying state of Tuvalu, which is threatened by rising sea levels, will be pulling out the plug for the entire nation. In India, the initiative has gathered a lot of attention with over a million people signing up on the Web site to pledge support. A raft of MNCs like Google, Coca-Cola, Infosys, McDonalds, Canon and HSBC have endorsed EH 2010 and pledged their support. Public institutions like BSES and NDPL have also promised to extend support.

EH has its critics. Sceptics say that an hour-long blackout is not enough to turn the tide on climate-changing carbon emissions. There even exists a group called ?Human Achievement Hour? that was started in opposition to EH. It encourages participants to celebrate this hour?which coincides with EH?by turning on all their lights and using as much electricity as possible to celebrate the fact that they can. But climate change is a political issue and symbols are important to the language of politics. So, critics need to understand that the purpose of EH is to let world leaders know that people support mitigation efforts. Folks participating in EH proclaim that they care about what happens at big global jamborees like Copenhagen 2009 or Mexico City 2010.

?jaya.jumrani@expressindia.com