Sydney’s hour of green power

Earth Hour is just around the corner and Sydney restaurants have raised their hands to lend support.

For the third year running, the city will plunge itself into darkness for an hour on March 28, to raise awareness about climate change.

This year, various restaurants will jump on the bandwagon by cutting all electric lights and switching to candlelight dinners

Sydney’s Almond Bar is filling its eatery with tea lights for a somewhat-romantic candle lit evening. Owner and manager of the restaurant Carol Salloum says all lights in the dinning area will be switched off including the restaurants sign.

“We’ve turned all lights off for Earth Hour before and it hasn’t really affected our business. People just really appreciate it I think,” Ms. Salloum said.

This is the restaurants second year as an Earth Hour patron and Ms. Salloum says they are privileged as an organisation to be part of such a great world wide initiative.

Dinner by candle light is also on the menu at Sydney’s Bungalow 8 and it seems appropriate that Kylie Kwong’s Surry Hills carbon neutral restaurant is another of many eateries switching off their lights to support the cause.

Restaurants aren’t the only ones raising awareness.

All Sydney ferries operating in Sydney Harbour will sound their horns when the clock strikes 8.30pm, heralding the start of Earth Hour in Sydney where the campaign began in 2007.

Hotels such as the Mercure in Darling Harbour will be limiting its power usage and the Ibis Sydney’s general manager, Benjamin Crieg, says all public areas within their hotel will be filled with candles.

“We have the advantage that our hotels are already energy efficient. We will be switching off all public area lights for the evening,” said Mr Crieg.

Andy Ridley, Executive Director of Earth Hour said that organisations and community groups are vital in getting Sydneysiders to play their part on Saturday March 28.

“Earth Hour is driven by citizens thinking globally and acting locally. No matter how big or small your organisation, I urge you to get involved in Earth Hour,” Mr Ridley said.