2015-03-30 15:56:00

Eiffel Tower goes dark in symbolic move for Earth Hour


The landmark Eiffel Tower in Paris went dark briefly on Saturday night to mark Earth Hour, the campaign to raise awareness about climate change.  The five-minute dark-out was a symbolic gesture in the French capital, known as the City of Light.  Cities around the world also marked the event, with other landmarks like the Kremlin, the Empire State Building and the United Nations headquarters in New York going dark.  France has been preparing for months to host an international climate conference in Paris at the end of the year, pressing nations to set attainable goals for reducing greenhouse gases and mobilizing international finances to fight climate change.  Earth Hour was launched in 2007 by the World Wildlife Fund to encourage awareness of environmental issues. The idea is to turn off lights for an hour _ not possible for safety reasons for the Eiffel Tower.

In a video message ahead of Earth Hour, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, said: “Climate change is a people problem. People cause climate change and people suffer from climate change. People can also solve climate change.”  “By turning out the lights, we highlight that more than 1 billion people lack access to electricity. Their future well-being requires access to clean, affordable energy,” Ban said, stressing that with the world's lights being switched off, Earth Hour shows what is possible when the international community unites in support of a cause. 








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