Switching off to combat climate change
This Saturday night Nelsonians are encouraged to be in the dark over climate change, but just for a little while. People are being urged to switch off their lights for an hour on Saturday night in a show of unity about raising awareness of and tackling climate change. The lights will also be going out at some Nelson landmarks in support of Earth Hour from 8.30pm to 9.30pm on Saturday, with Nelsons Christ Church Cathedral floodlights and the Civic House lights being turned off for the event, along with the Boulder Bank Lighthouse. Earth Hour was started in 2007 as a symbolic lights-out event and is now held around the world on the last Saturday of March each year to encourage action on climate change to ensure a brighter future for people and the planet. READ MORE: * Attempts to curb abundant wasp population with traps on Rangitoto Island * Going small is big right now - but how much does a tiny home cost? * New container a safe bet for Nelson's budding lifeguards Port Nelson, Nelmac and Nelson City Council are three organisations working together to mark Earth Hour and encourage wider community participation. Port Nelson environmental manager Marta Karlik-Neale said the port company would turn off all non-essential lights, including the Boulder Bank Lighthouse, for Earth Hour. Karlik-Neale said the involvement in Earth Hour aligned with Port Nelsons environmental strategy targets of a 20 per cent carbon reduction by 2026 and a 42 per cent reduction by 2035. Port Nelson, Nelmac and the Nelson City Council are all encouraging their employees to participate in Earth Hour by switching their lights off at home and spending a power free hour in some creative way, with a photo competition for employees to show how they spent the hour. Earth Hour is basically a small thing, but its an initiative thats aimed at raising awareness, Karlik-Neale said. Tackling climate change had to be a team effort between organisations and communities, she said. Everyone has a role to play. Nelson City Council senior climate change advisor Daniela Ramirez said where it was safe to do so, some street lights around Nelson would also be switched off for Earth Hour. We want to raise awareness, thats the main thing, Ramirez said. Nelmac environmental management leader Rachael Williams-Gaul said reducing emissions was important to the environmental management company and it would be turning off all non-essential lights at Nelmac something it already encouraged its staff to do. As well as individuals, Nelmac was encouraging other businesses in Nelson to also take part in Earth Hour.