By Cheryl Lim

TOMORROW, at least 2,000 people here are expected to join the world in a one-hour rally against climate change - Earth Hour - at the Esplanade Park.

For an hour starting from 8.30pm, they will refrain from using electricity while participating organisations will shut their power, to remind the world that they should conserve electricity.

Before that, participants can join a free one-hour yoga session at the park starting at 6pm, led by yoga teacher Yvette Tee.

Earth Hour is organised here by the Swiss-based non-profit environmental organisation, World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF) Singapore.

Participants are encouraged to make their way to the park on foot or by bicycle or public transport, and are urged to bring their own yoga mats and blankets in the spirit of Earth Hour, said Ms Amy Ho, managing director of WWF Singapore.

"The success of Earth Hour depends on the contributions of every individual who wishes to make a difference," she said.

Vistors are encouraged to get their faces painted to look like pandas, the mascot for WWF.

They can also enjoy a three-hour Earth Hour concert starting at 7pm, with a line-up of home-grown musical acts
such as guitar-strumming duo Jack & Rai, and illusionists JC Sum and Magic Babe Ning.

Like last year, the concert will be powered in an environmentally friendly way.

The required electricity will be generated on-site by bio-diesel converted from recycled cooking oil - from Four Seasons Hotel and shopping mall 313@Somerset - by clean-energy company Alpha Biofuels.

Although the number of supporting organisations currently stands at 400, 100 fewer than the total count at the end of last year's event, WWF Singapore is hopeful that the number will match last year's by tomorrow.

Ms Ho said: "There was a spike in the number of companies that came forward in the last two days last year."

Moreover, the "awareness of Earth Hour this year is greater", after Singapore's debut participation
in Earth Hour last year, she added.

This year, 120 countries are taking part in Earth Hour, a significant increase from 88 last year.

Earth Hour originated in 2007 in Sydney, Australia, where 2.2 million homes and businesses switched off their
lights for one hour in a statement against climate change.

The following year, the movement went global with the participation of 35 countries.

Bank executive Sherryn Lim, 24, who turned down her parents' offer to buy her a car and uses public transport to get to work, said: "I'm going to the party as a show of support to the cause.

"Earth Hour is quite important to me because I believe in saving the planet from more damage than has already been
done to it."

cheryll@sph.com.sg

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