Earth Hour 2013, Mumbai - A roaring success

Students of St. Lawrence School, Kandivali supporting Earth Hour

The world embraced Earth Hour on the 23rd of March,2013  by turning off their lights between 8:30 to 9:30; Mumbai too wasn't far away from this. 'Aamchi Mumbai' too observed Earth hour as a mark of her united stand with the global comunity sending out a message loud and clear that all mumbaikars are prepared to fight climate change.
Many iconic monuments from Mumbai switched off their lights and went dark, signaling their support for a more brighter and a sustainable future.Some of them being : CST administrative building,  MCGM building, Bandra-Worli Sealink, The Gateway of India, Taj Mahal Palace and hotel, The Trident, The Mayor's residence,ITC Maratha,Meluha- The Fern, The Orchid hotel and many more.Earth Hour was also observed by many individuals, housing societies, small and large enterprises in and around Mumbai.

Hon. Mayor of Mumbai lighting the ceremonial lamp

Hon. Mayor of Mumbai Flagging off the Earth Hour rally

Due to the overwhelming participation this year we improved our energy saving count from the last year.Mumbai saved a total of 71 MW during Earth hour, an equivalent of lighting up 1.5 lac hoseholds!
Also the WWF India, MSO organised an Earth hour candle light rally in association with GreenLine and ParleAgro which was very well received.The event recorded a participation of more than 300 individuals.The event was graced by the presence of Hon. Mayor of  Mumbai Mr. Sunil Prabhu.Preceding the candle light march i.e a little before the Earth Hour (8:00 PM) the audiences were entertained by an acoustic band performance by Rex and Glen.
The rally was flagged off by the Hon . Mayor as soon as the clock ticked to half past 8 . Every participant in the 

Acoustic band performance

rally pledged to live a more sustainable lifestyle and to endure their support and actions beyond the Earth Hour . Everybody in the rally were taken by a pleasent surprise with a flashmob dance performance (near Koolar and Co.) choreographed and performed by Tabitha and group (from tip tap toe) and kids from Shelter Don Bosco. The participants also hymmed to the tunes of the songs specially composed for Earth Hour by teachers and students from Shelter Don Bosco. The rally was also attended by a young nature enthusiast who cycled through the whole rally.At the closing of Earth Hour, just before the the lights started turning on in the horizons the event was concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr.Shreya Bhanap from WWF India,MSO.

Flashmob near Koolar & Co.

We from WWF IndiaMSO, would like to thank every individual,communities,all enterprises small and large,government bodies who participated,observed and supported Earth Hour,because you were the sole driving force behind it's huge success!We'd also like to thank everybody involved in making the Earth Hour event a huge success. Our most sincere thanks to GreenLine Team; your support has been the most valuable to us. BEST, for helping aware and mobilize the citizens about Earth Hour.Also a special thanks to kids and teachers from Shelter Don Bosco,Tabitha and group, Rex and Glen, Koolar and Co. and last but not the least our visionary leadership without whom all of this would not have been possible!
Keep your efforts to save our planet undimmed until next year where we'd again dim the lights!

Article by Vishesh Pillai (Earth Hour Intern)

Here's the cheat-sheet on how to lead a sustainable lifestyle?

Keeping in sync with the motto of Earth Hour 2013 to spread the message of Earth Hour beyond the hour, here are some of the easiest things you could do to lead a more sustainable lifestyle:

 TIP 1 -

Take your first step towards leading a more sustainable lifestyle by replacing all the incandescent light bulbs with CFLs. The CFLs are more efficient than the traditional light bulbs and last 10 times longer than the incandescent bulbs! What more, the CFLs not only help you shrink your electricity bill but also your carbon footprint! Switch off the incandescent bulbs and switch on CFL!

TIP 2-

Need we say more?So dust off the cycle that's lying in your garage and start pedalling your way for a better and a fitter tomorrow!


TIP 3 - 

This seems to be the easiest of the things to do to protect our environment,doesn't it?Here's why we should stick to local produce - Local food promotes energy conservation. The average distance our food travels is 2400 Kms, mostly by air and truck(and other means), increasing our dependence on petroleum. By buying locally, you conserve the energy that’s used for transport.Also studies prove that locally grown produce is more nutritious and tastier than the ones grown in a large commercial farm.Start eating your way for a better tomorrow!

Stay tuned for more such TIPS!

Fun things to do during The Earth Hour

On March 23, 2013 between 8:30 to 9:30 pm billions from around the world would unite to witness the biggest global environmental event- The Earth hour. The Earth Hour now in its fifth year in  India will be observed by billions by turning off lights and sending out a strong message of their commitment towards the cause of environment .

But what exactly does one do in the dark and completely off-grid? Didn’t that question cross your mind; no electricity, no mobile phone, no computer! Sounds like a scary proposition, doesn’t it?

Don’t panic, we have come up with this ‘what to do guide’ for you to pull off this herculean task.

      1.  Go star gazing! The sky turns more beautiful with the blanket of darkness covering the city! 

       2.Take some time off for yourself; reflect, think, plan or maybe just take a much needed sleep. Ought to think about some self-energy conservation too!

       3.Spend time with your loved ones, get chatting, tell spooky stories, sing a song, play an instrument, have a candle-lit dinner with your special one!

       4.Throw a green party (sans the electricity)! Invite your friends to observe earth hour together with some great food and board games. Play hide and seek. The possibilities are limitless 

    5.Go out for a walk, explore the unseen corners of your city!  

Article By Vishesh Pillai (Intern-Earth Hour)