Brunei's icon for Earth Hour to be announced on March 19

THE decision on which Brunei landmark will be switched off to officially participate in the Earth Hour initiative will be made known to the public on March 19, said the appointed coordinator and organiser for Earth Hour Brunei.

"On March 19, they (the relevant authorities) will announce which landmark they will choose and a press conference will be held on March 20," Md Rosmarimey "Rimey" Hj Osman told The Brunei Times..

He also underscored the importance for the public to enhance their understanding on observing Earth Hour.

Earth Hour, celebrated annually on March 27, is an energy-awareness initiative that began in 2007, when 2.2 million homes and businesses in Sydney switched off lights simultaneously to highlight the cause of combating climate change.

Brunei, with a population of more than 400,000 people, will be among 17 countries whose participation will be recognised for the first time by Earth Hour organiser and initiator, Earth Hour Global which is based in Australia.

However, in order for Brunei to be officially recognised, one of the criteria needed is an official icon that represents Brunei being switched off.

In a recent report, the public has suggested either The Mall in Gadong or the Jame' Asr Hassanil Bolkiah to become the icon, leading to a response from Earth Hour Brunei that only the relevant authorities were authorised to nominate any landmarks.

"Earth Hour is not (only) about switching off your lights, it is not only about switching off the landmark's lights," he said, adding that Earth Hour also means giving awareness, educating and uniting people to realise the risks of climate change.

He reminded the supporters of Brunei's Earth Hour to switch non-essential lights and appliances during the event, a practice that should not only be done during the Earth Hour initiative, but preferably on a regular basis.

As the appointed coordinator for Earth Hour Brunei, Rimey also confirmed that, besides him they are five other official representatives of Earth Hour Brunei.

Another representative, Hj Md Zaim Azman Hj Ismail, said that Earth Hour Brunei was currently working with the relevant authorities on the landmark nomination.

"They have not specifically listed down any landmarks yet. We are still waiting for confirmation from them," he said, adding the authorities should only come out to announce the landmark on March 19.

"Let's put it this way, in that one hour, switching off your lights won't save the world, but in that one hour, we can educate and give awareness to everyone about sustainability and energy conservation. We have a higher probability in the future of having a greener and safe environment."

"It's about behaviour change, it's not about instant solutions," Hj Md Zaim said.

The Department of Electrical Services (DES) in its statement said that it would be coordinating and lining up programmes on Earth Hour for Brunei.

The Brunei Times