Baabda Palace, Grand Serail Mark Earth Hour as Suleiman Urges Everyone to Follow Suit
The presidential palace and Grand Serail switched off their lights for Earth Hour on Saturday in a global effort to raise awareness about climate change.
The Baabda Palace said in a statement earlier that it will turn off lights for 60 minutes from 8:30 pm local time upon the recommendation of President Michel Suleiman.
Simultaneously, the Grand Serail turned of it's lights following Prime Minister Najib Miqati orders.
Earth Hour, promoted by the global conservation organization World Wildlife Fund (WWF), is marked every year on the last Saturday of March by asking people and organizations to turn off their lights for one hour between 8:30 pm and 9:30 pm local time, in whatever time zone they may be located.
Suleiman urged all Lebanese state and private institutions and citizens to follow suit.
The announcement came a day after the United Nations in Lebanon said it will observe Earth Hour by switching off lights and electronic devices in U.N. premises.
The U.N. Information Center said the move would come in a show of commitment to the world body's "Sustainable Energy for All" initiative.
U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon said on this occasion that turning off our lights is a symbol of our commitment to Sustainable Energy for All, a pioneering new initiative he recently launched.
"We need to fuel our future with clean, efficient and affordable energy," he said.
"By acting together today, we can power a brighter tomorrow. The United Nations is strongly behind this cause. From Earth Hour to Rio+20, let us build the future we want," Ban added.
The United Nations will be joining many other landmarks around the world in turning off its lights at its New York headquarters and other locations.
Since it began in Sydney in 2007, Earth Hour has grown to become what WWF organizers say is the world's largest demonstration of support for action on carbon pollution.
A total of 5,251 cities took part in 2011, as the movement reached 1.8 billion people in 135 countries, they say.
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