Reducing our energy consumption with Earth Hour

This Saturday, 29th March, 8-9pm is Earth Hour. Along with 24 cities around the world, Australians are being urged to switch off their lights for an hour to save energy. This small step is seen as the start of a journey, a global one, to halt irreversible damage to our planet's climate.

In Sydney last year, lights were dimmed for Earth Hour when more than two million residents and 2,100 businesses took part. According to Energy Australia, energy consumption fell by about 10 per cent which translated to a cut in carbon emissions of about 25 tonnes.

The message from this initiative is that each of us can do something; as simple as switching off appliances instead of leaving them in stand-by mode. These small steps are needed to cut emissions on an ongoing basis. Yet the wonderful thing is that everybody can participate, whether you live in a village or city.

Organisers say the hoped-for political impact has grown in measure to the size and number of cities signing up. Conservative estimates put this year's participant figure at 28 million.

Health Brands Australia is proudly taking part in Earth Hour and regard this as yet another step in our environmental sustainability goals. We are advocates of lowering carbon emissions and have started an office program to that end, with an aim to progressively extend those efforts.