Earth Hour will be on March 23.

PETALING JAYA: Earth Hour will be celebrated on March 23 but people don't have to wait for that hour to practise a greener lifestyle, said WWF-Malaysia conservation director Dr Sundari Ramakrishna.

She reminded people that Earth Hour, pioneered by WWF in Sydney in 2007 and now celebrated in over 7,000 cities across 152 countries, was more than just about reducing global carbon footprint for an hour.

"This goal should be embedded in our daily lives. This requires a lifestyle change. It can be simple things such as switching off all unused appliances at home instead of leaving them on standby," she said Friday.

Another interesting way for the entire family to get involved, she said, was by having “green competitions”, where family members could challenge each other to achieve the least waste in a week.

”How much waste we produce can actually be seen from what we purchase. Also, try to come up with a shopping list so no wasted trips to the store are made,” she said.

Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) conservation head Balu Perumal reminded people to be mindful of their water consumption as well as recycling habits.

“Using public transport or carpooling is also a good way to reduce our fossil fuel use,” he said, expressing hope that Malaysian leaders too would jump on the bandwagon and have the whole country officially celebrate Earth Hour one day.

Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Seri Ahmad Phesal Talib announced on Wednesday that Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) would collaborate with WWF-Malaysia for Earth Hour this year.

He said all non-essential lighting and appliances at DBKL buildings would be switched off this Saturday from 8.30pm to 9.30pm.

Ahmad Phesal also issued his I Will, If You Will challenge, where he promised to cycle to work from his Bukit Tunku residence on March 25 should 50 buildings pledge to follow DBKL's lead.

Swiss Garden Hotel and Residences are the latest to jump on the bandwagon, with Swiss Garden International corporate communications manager Linda Evelyn Wong saying that all three of its buildings would switch off non-essential lighting.

Earth Hour on March 23 will see iconic buildings such as the Petronas Twin Towers and KL Tower, as well as shopping malls such as Pavilion, Fahrenheit 88 (which will offer a 60% discount during Earth Hour at some of its outlets) and Starhill power down.

Some 30,000 Formula One Alive Concert goers at the Twin Towers will also be treated to interesting performances as the concert will dim its lights from 8.30pm to 9.30pm.

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