Han Ximin

    ximhan@126.com

    MANY Shenzhen residents and public business venues across the city turned off their lights Saturday and organized activities to mark Earth Hour, which aims to promote environmental protection and advocate low-carbon lifestyles.

    Between 8:30 p.m. and 9 p.m., electricity use in the city was reduced by 144,900 kWh, equivalent to 47.39 tons of coal and a reduction of 144.5 tons of carbon dioxide.

    At the square in Coastal City in Nanshan District, Shenzhen Power Supply Bureau and app-based bike operator bluegogo initiated a one-hour static free-ride activity when those who downloaded the bureau’s app could get 10-30 yuan (US$1.45-4.36) coupons for free rides.

    As the clock drew close to 8:30 p.m., Futian Shangri-La, Shenzhen also dimmed their lobby lights and turned off non-essential lights. An Earth Hour-themed floral arrangement was presented in the lobby. An earth model in a green light bulb shape symbolizes the initiative to turn off lights to save energy and protect the environment.

    The hotel also encouraged guests to join the global event by minimizing the use of electric appliances, including lights and air conditioners.

    At the activity at Shang Gourmet, the hotel management invited guests to participate in a soap recycling activity. Guests were encouraged to make chunks of soap out of the used soaps that the hotel had collected from its rooms. The soap chunks will be donated to communities that need them.

    The activity was to raise awareness about maintaining a sustainable lifestyle, protecting the environment and saving energy, according to Fiona Yang, director of communications of Futian Shangri-La, Shenzhen.

    Many residents turned off the lights at home and spent time with their families walking in the Lianhua Hill Park, while some running clubs organized their members to run for an hour to mark Earth Hour.

    In response to a call from www.joyrun.com, a total of 11,823 runners completed at least 1 kilometer of running after registering for the challenge during Earth Hour.

    At Shenzhen University, a countdown concert organized by the university’s environmental protection association and energy-saving office was held.

    It is the ninth year since Earth Hour activities began to be held in China.

    Earth Hour is a global environmental campaign initiated by World Wildlife Fund and is held on the last Saturday of every March. This year’s event attracted millions of people from 170 countries and regions, as well as hundreds of thousands of enterprises and institutions and hundreds of landmarks around the world to express their concerns about environmental protection and global warming issues.