http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYZtqgZNaDM

Earth Hour 2009 falls on March 28. If you were ‘switched on’ last year, find out how you can ‘switch off’ this year and join celebrities and millions around the world in this solidarity campaign to help reduce global warming. CHEONG PHIN writes.

http://www.nst.com.my/Wednesday/Features/20090224185226/insidepix2?display=xsmall

FROM Dec 7-18, world leaders and their negotiators will convene at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, to address the alarming effects of global warming on climate change.

They will also conclude on a grand new deal to replace the Kyoto Protocol — the 1997 agreement to reduce carbon dioxide and other global-warming emissions by industrial nations, which is due to expire in 2012.

According to a report by World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF) released in October last year, climate change is accelerating faster than anticipated by the world’s leading scientists.

An effective and serious international response to this threat must be petitioned to the world’s decision-makers.
WWF is embarking on a global Earth Hour 2009 campaign to urge more than one billion people in 1,000 cities to turn off their lights for one hour on Saturday, March 28, at 8.30pm to demonstrate a concerted support for determined international action in reducing greenhouse gas emissions to battle climate change.

The lights out initiative which started in Sydney in 2007 as a public awareness-raising campaign, has grown significantly over the past two years and now has 538 cities in 75 countries, including several cities in Malaysia, committed to go dark for an hour on March 28.

Just like New Year’s Eve, Earth Hour will travel from time zone to time zone, starting at 8.30pm in New Zealand.

The act is really very simple. No placards are needed. No shouting or marching is required. All you have to do is simply turn off the non-essential lights for one hour and your support will be documented in the global plight of WWF in sending a powerful signal to the world leaders in Copenhagen about our concern and our willingness to make small sacrifices to combat climate change — and expecting the same of them.

Prominent landmark buildings here such as KL Tower, Sunway Lagoon Resort, Starhill Gallery and Mid Valley are already committed to turning their lights off for one hour on the day, with more signing up.

A series of TV commercials created by Leo Burnett Malaysia featuring a host of celebrities will also be aired, and hopefully, generate a huge public response at 8.30pm on the marked day.

The TV campaign is directed by the agency’s executive creative director and award-winning film director Yasmin Ahmad. She is also the official ambassador of Earth Hour 2009 Malaysia.

Here, Yasmin speaks candidly during a break in filming the campaign at Studio DL in Kuala Lumpur about how Malaysians can support this campaign and make a difference.

QUESTION: How do you see your main role as an ambassador of this campaign in deepening our understanding of the seriousness of climate change?

ANSWER: Basically I do what I’m told, go where I’m told to go. When you know you’re getting into a good cause, led by people with good intentions, you sort of move on autopilot. I write my own speeches, though, and that’s when I let rip!

Q: How are you planning to convince people to participate in this simple act?

A: By making the whole thing fun and cool. You see, public service messages that portray doom and gloom just make people switch off their minds. You’ve got to show hope.

Q: How and when did you begin your commitment to this cause?

A: When they approached us.

Q: How much has it changed your lifestyle? Have you always been a “green” person?

A: I don’t see myself as a “green” extremist. I find people who are like that unreasonable and depressing. However, I would like to think that I care in a practical and positive way.

Q: Tell us more about the TV campaign. What do you hope to accomplish?

A: We’re shooting celebrities talking about Earth Hour. We hope to convince folks through this campaign that switching off the lights for one hour can be a fun thing.

We’re hoping kids and everyone else will hold candle-lit dinners, gatherings or concerts, video tape them and send them to us for screening on air.

In short, we’re hoping to make saving the environment a fun thing to do. All it takes is a little imagination, and I believe we Malaysians have it by the truckloads.

Q: Why so many celebrities?

A: They volunteered and are doing this for free. Isn’t that nice? People do care.

Q: When are you airing it? Who’s funding the publicity?

A: We will air the TVC wherever and whenever we get free airtime. Nobody’s funding anything. We’re all doing this for the love of saving the environment.

Q: Any suggestions on what to do during this hour of darkness?

A: The buildings that are taking part in this campaign are planning on staging some events. Like I said earlier, create your own events at home, tape them and send those to us.

Q: Do you think the people here will understand the collective impact and consequences of this simple gesture?

A: All we want is for people to feel united in this struggle to preserve energy. There has just been too much bad news floating around these days, with political struggles for power, mudslinging, scandal-mongering, handbag-snatching, ad nauseum.

I want the regular folks of Malaysia to prove to themselves and the powers that be, and indeed the world, that the good people of Malaysia are NOT divided and are perfectly capable of rallying together for a good cause.

Q: What about our government policies?

A: We were very pleasantly surprised that some of the most instantly supportive parties were sectors of the government. Abi Raj, the assistant project manager tells me that the State governments of Penang and Selangor have agreed to support this campaign.

Q: Quite a number of prominent landmark buildings have already agreed to participate. Do you think more will sign up in the next few weeks, perhaps after the launch of your TV campaign?

A: From where I’m sitting, it’s looking very, very promising.

Q: It seems a shame that the iconic symbol of modern Kuala Lumpur, the Petronas Twin Towers, is not participating. Any comments?

A: I have to give them the benefit of the doubt, because they’re one of very few local multinationals that I respect, so I assume it has something to do with safety, given who they are.

Q: How can readers encourage others to participate?

A: Start with the people closest to you. Just imagine if every Malaysian encourages the people around them to do something innovative and turn off the lights from 8.30pm to 9.30pm on March 28, what a spectacular message of solidarity this would be!

hye everybody....thank you so much for all of your support and prayers all this while, i truly appreciate all of my fans out there but due to my bussy schedule at times i'am unable to spend my time online replying all of you that are important to me but i will defenetly do when ever i have a spare time available.once again thank you so much for all of your support.
                                                                                                  ~SaZzY~
 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ro1Yr2QEQFI