Post date: Mar 26, 2011 12:56:28 PM
The lights are turned off on Sydney's Harbour Bridge and Opera House to mark the Earth Hour environment initiative.
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA (MARCH 26, 2011) REUTERS - Lights started going off around the world on Saturday (March 26) in a show of support for renewable energy, given added poignancy by Japan's nuclear disaster which raises doubts about nuclear power as a possible solution.
Landmarks in thousands of cities, from Sydney Harbour Bridge to the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, are turning off the power for Earth Hour, the fifth such event promoting a sustainable future for the planet.Governments, business and individuals are taking part the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) initiative.
The first lights were dimmed across Fiji and New Zealand at 8.30 p.m. local time (0730 GMT).
Australia, a leading coal exporter, accounts for about 1.5 percent of global emissions, but is one of the highest per-capita polluters in the developed world, due to a reliance on coal-fired power for 80 percent of domestic electricity.