The third international Earth Hour scheduled for 8.30 P.M. to 9.30 P.M. March 27, and the first that Saudi Arabia is officially participating in, is generating a lot of curiosity, and some fear in the Kingdom. Nevertheless, the country's participation is seen as important and an “encouraging step” in the “right direction”. Andy Ridley, executive director, Earth Hour Global, in an email exchange with Saudi Gazette, said Saudi Arabia is a “critical country” when it comes to dealing with climate change and supplying energy to the world. “We need everyone to be part of the solution and think about conserving energy for the future, that's why engaging with the people of Saudi Arabia is so important,” he said. Commenting on the Kingdom's first-time participation, Ridley said: “Saudi Arabia's engagement with the campaign is an encouraging step in the right direction and provides the citizens of Saudi Arabia with a platform to express their desire for action on climate change to policy makers. Saudi Arabia's support of Earth Hour is very important to the campaign and we are very pleased to have them join Earth Hour this year”. Sharifa Abdulrahman, a Saudi freelance photographer, started a Facebook event ‘Earth Hour Jeddah ‘10', which now has around 1,300 participants. “From the hundreds of online comments and emails I received, it can be sensed that there is fear and ignorance among the people. They are asking questions like: ‘Are we going to shut down all the electricity?', ‘What's going to happen to hospitals and banks?', ‘There could be burglaries and rapes!' or ‘The world is going to crash down!' Meanwhile, corporate houses are not sure what to do and how it will be received by the general public,” she said. Asked how she got involved with the movement in Jeddah, Sharifa said she was upset at not finding Saudi Arabia on the map listing participants on the Earth Hour website. “I began contacting businesses and restaurants requesting their participation. I also contacted Earth Hour's main site and they forwarded my email to a Saudi Wildlife Fund team member who I have since been in contact with about what I've been doing and my progress. I believe that Saudi Wildlife was doing their own planning. And their tactics were to involve the government. I wouldn't have known they were doing anything if I hadn't emailed the Earth Hour site,” she said. Sharifa contacted “at least 60” corporate houses, restaurants, universities, including King Abdulaziz University and KAUST, requesting their participation in Earth Hour. However, only two to three confirmations have so far been received and she said she is hopeful about a few more. “Most of the organizations I approached were afraid to be the first to publicly initiate participation,” said Sharifa. Commenting on Saudi Arabia's somewhat lackluster response to Earth Hour, Ridley said: “When Earth Hour first started in Australia the support of popular newspapers and local governments was crucial in spreading the word about the initiative. We have been surprised by the response from so many cultures across the planet and experience has told us never to underestimate people's desire to make things better for themselves, their family and their community”. Highlighting the concept of Earth Hour, he said: “It's a time to reflect on what you can do as an individual, business or community to be more sustainable. We ask that you turn off your lights for one hour and any other non-essential appliances to get you to consider other simple acts you could incorporate into your everyday life to conserve energy. Through the symbolic act of switching your lights off we hope that people take the Earth Hour message and absorb it into their life beyond one hour, so every hour is Earth Hour.” With a record 116 countries' participation as of Sunday, he said this year's event will be “the largest civil action ever witnessed and is building a mandate for action on climate change on a scale that cannot be ignored”. “As policies that address the issue of climate change are put in place and people adopt a low carbon lifestyle, Earth Hour will eventually become a day to show you care about the Earth, even though you use sustainable practices all year round.” There are a number of local establishments that have announced their participation in this year's event. Okaz Organization for Press and Publication, according to Ahmad Al-Battah, assistant to the general manager for HR, will participate fully in Earth Hour this year. Lights will be turned off in and outside Okaz buildings with limited emergency lighting being used for safety and security. All elevators will be stopped and computers will be run by battery. The Saudi British Bank has been observing Earth Hour since its inception in 2008, and this time too “we will switch off those lights that don't affect the security of the bank and the customers,” said Ibrahim Abo-Mouti, head of corporate communications, Saudi British Bank Head Office, Riyadh. Asked if they would have any estimates of the amount of energy saved in this one hour, Abo-Mouti said: “It is not about saving electricity. But, it is about leading the way towards a sustainable future and taking a stand against climate change.” He said no directives on Earth Hour have been received from the municipality or the government. The Help Center for disabled children, Jeddah, another third time Earth Hour participant, will blackout during the hour on Saturday, according to Reem Gazzaz, PR manager of Help Center. “Because it is a day school, we will explain to children the significance of this event, do projects and talk about energy, etc. so that they will go home and tell their family,” she said. Al-Baik, the popular fast food chain that serves broasted chicken, will also be participating in the event. Admitting that the global movement started late in Saudi Arabia, Sharifa said: “On a visit to Singapore last year, I saw that there were advertisements, billboards all over the place asking to switch-off, and this over a month before the event! In Canada, the event is sponsored by Coca Cola and IKEA. My aim is to spread awareness this year without expecting anything big and I already have high hopes for the next year,” she said. Going by the response, Sharifa said there may not be any events or shows planned for Earth hour here, unlike in some other countries. “Perhaps, because we are living in a desert climate, where we do not see things such as trees being chopped down, etc., many people are thinking that climate change does not affect them. Education on environment matters has to start in the schools, especially in the government schools here,” she said. Sharifa and her friends have set up a blog (earthhourjeddah.blogspot.com) that contains major information about what Earth Hour is and how people are planning on making it happen in Jeddah.
