IT'S THAT time of
year again. It's time to turn out the lights. Brunei Darussalam will once again
be participating in the world's largest environmental event, the Earth Hour
2012, at 8pm on Saturday (March 31, 2012).
Themed "I will if you will", this year's main event will take
place at Taman Haji Sir Muda Omar 'Ali Saifuddien (Taman SOAS).
The three landmarks are the same as 2011: Jerudong Park (lights out),
Sultan Omar 'Ali Saifuddien (SOAS) Mosque (dimmed) and Kg Ayer Cultural and
Tourism Gallery (lights out).
During a press conference at the Tourism Office yesterday, Sheikh
Jamaluddin Sheikh Mohamed, the Director of Tourism and the appointed envoy for
Earth Hour, said that a stronger following was expected this year. "In
fact, the number keeps increasing year by year on a global scale with more
participation coming from government level. This year's Earth Hour has seen us
working closely with NGOs (non-government organisations), businesses, companies
and the Municipal Department in the capital and the Ministry of Energy,"
he said.
Elaborating the objective of Earth Hour, Sheikh Jamaluddin reiterated
the need for generating more public awareness and interest.
"Earth Hour has a very important role to play. If the public knows
about this, then this is where the education begins for parents and children on
the reason why we have to do this. It needs to be emphasised that Brunei is
part of this planet. If everybody on the planet does not care, then it would
mean serious consequences down the road or in the future," he said.
The Sultanate is also made known to the world through its participation,
which is good for the cause of increasing tourism. Any given visitor who is in
Brunei during the Earth Hour weekend can participate and take back memories
with him.
"I hope to show to the world that Brunei cares for the planet
earth as much as anybody else and by being a member and getting support from
the government ministries also shows that we care," he said.
According to Earth Hour Public Relations and Communications Officer Pg
Sarimah Pg Hj Abd Latiff, the one-hour initiative has impacted some of the
normal practices of the nation's residents.
"The festive lights (lampu cucul) for example, there has been a
noticeable decrease in their usage during the festive season and the switch to
energy-efficient light bulbs. Other actions such as the "No Plastic
Day" have shown the bigger impact," she said.
"There has been a noticeable decrease in the usage of the lampu
cucul in terms of how long they remain on for. Some households have switched to
energy-efficient lights. On a wider scale, the "No Plastic Day" has
been a success. People are now more conscious about using plastic bags."
"The best thing about Earth Hour is that it's celebrated without
the need for any boundaries," she added.
Some of the activities that are organised are human formation of 60+, a
night picnic and HSBC's "Pedal for Earth Hour"'.
The current theme of Earth Hour 2012 aims to increase participation in
the cause of environmental sustainability by having members of the public dare
their friends or families to perform activities that supports the message.
More information about Earth Hour 2012 in Brunei can be obtained at http://www.earthhour.org.bn.
LEO KASIM
The Brunei Times
Business & Investment Opportunities
YourVietnamExpert is a division of Saigon Business Corporation Pte Ltd, Incorporated in Singapore since 1994. As Your Business Companion, we propose a range of services in Strategy, Investment and Management, focusing Healthcare and Life Science with expertise in ASEAN. We also propose Higher Education, as a bridge between educational structures and industries, by supporting international programmes. Many thanks for visiting www.yourvietnamexpert.com and/or contacting us at contact@yourvietnamexpert.com
No comments:
Post a Comment