On 29 March 2008, Cairns Regional Council took a visible stand against the greatest threat to the planet - climate change. In the Cairns region this initiative was proudly supported by the The Cairns Post, Ergon Energy, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and Lincone Scott.
Council pledged its support for Earth Hour 2008 - a global initiative to bring awareness to the simple day-to-day actions we can collectively take to reduce our impact on human induced global warming.
Cairns Regional Council joined over 35 countries in turning off all non-essential lighting between 8pm and 9pm. Polling group AMR Interactive reported and average of 58% of households in Australia turned their lights off for Earth Hour on Saturday night.
Ergon Energy’s acting Manager Regional Services Charlie Casa said that between 8pm and 9pm on Saturday night people flicked off their switches to the tune of around 10 megawatts of power - enough to power a town the size of Tully or Mareeba.
“That has saved about 10 tonnes of greenhouse gases, which is equivalent to taking about three unleaded-fuelled cars off the road for a year,” said Mr Casa.
He said the power demand on Saturday night during the great switch-off was a 10 per cent drop on the previous Saturday night, although other factors such as cooler weather could also have contributed.
“The real significance of this event is to show people how easy it is to make an impact when a lot of people each do something small that adds up to something big when it’s all put together.
“I congratulate the people of the Far North for having got behind this initiative and look forward to doing it again next year and challenging ourselves to do even more.”
Cairns Regional Council’s Manager Community Relations Gary Schofield said the region has responded positively to the switch-off call and he was pleased with the outcome.
“About 200 people attended a special carbon-neutral event at the JUTE theatre on Saturday night, where they were asked to pledge future efforts to reduce their carbon footprint.
“Commitments ranged from simple things like switching off lights and fans in empty rooms, to walking or riding bikes instead of driving. Recycling and installing solar hot water and solar power systems,” said Mr Schofield.
He said the community response to Earth Hour showed people really were taking the issue of global warming seriously and were prepared to take action to reduce their impact on the planet.
Council gave away 256 native trees to the community and Council planted an additional 120 trees at Redlynch Valley State School to offset Council activities on the day.
For further information, contact Council's Sustainability Officer in Mossman:
Maree Grenfell m.grenfell@cairns.qld.gov.au 07 4099 9478.
Links:
Guide for Hotels/accomodation participating
Earth Hour postcards