Phuket blackout: the power of an hour

PHUKET: The dark hour is approaching when Phuket residents will join the rest of the world in turning lights off as part of Earth Hour 2010.

At 8:30pm on March 27, entertainment venues and homes across the island are expected to plunge into darkness as part of the global climate change campaign.

The first Earth Hour was in 2007, in Sydney, Australia when the lights in 2.2 million homes and businesses were turned off.

By 2009, Earth Hour had reached one billion people in 4,088 cities and towns in 88 countries, making it the largest public demonstration for action on climate change ever.

This year, the event will be observed in Phuket at a host of venues around the island.

Le Meriden Phuket Beach Resort and Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket are set to hold special candle-lit dinners.

Yoonique’s bar in Nai Harn will be hosting candle-lit ‘unplugged’ acoustic performances by local musicians.

At the Dusit Thani Resort’s La Trattoria, a special Earth Hour dinner will be hosted starting at 7pm.

The resort’s restaurant is doing their part to celebrate the event in style with 20% of the dinner’s revenue being donated to support the World Wildlife Fund.

Around the world, iconic buildings and landmarks in Europe, Asia and the Americas will stand in darkness.

All those wishing to take part in the Phuket event need only turn out the lights for an hour.

For more information visit www.earthhour.org.

— Elizabeth Branca