CAIRO: Egypt was one of the many countries that dimmed its lights Saturday to mark “Earth Hour,” a project to highlight the need for energy conservation to protect the environment. “Earth Hour,” a World Wildlife Fund (WWF) initiative, called on the world to dim lights for one hour to show solidarity for conservation efforts worldwide. Egypt, which joined the initiative last year, was called an African leader in the Earth Hour initiative. “Egypt leads record number of nations across Africa to participate in Earth Hour,” read a headline on the WWF's Earth Hour blog Saturday. The article went on to praise “Egypt's commitment to resolving the issue of climate change.” It also celebrated the increase in African participants for Earth Hour — last year there were only three. This year, there were eleven. Earth Hour, which took place between 8:30 pm and 9:30 pm local time on Saturday, was supported by the Egyptian government, local officials, and private organizations. Maged George, minister of environmental affairs, asked ministers and governors to support the initiative, and asked private citizens to likewise conserve energy. Abdel Azim Wazir, governor of Cairo, also urged citizens to put out non-essential lights at home. Cairo monuments such as Cairo Tower dimmed their lights for the event, as did hotel chains, including Intercontinental Hotels Groups Citystars. “[We ask our] hotel's guests to join in the cause and help make a statement for the state of the planet,” the chain's owners said in an advertisement. Perhaps most dramatically, organizers shut off the lights illuminating the Great Pyramid of Khufu, along with the pyramids of kings Khafre and Menkaure, the Great Sphinx, and the smaller sights located on the Giza Necropolis. "This is the second year that Misr Light and Sound Company takes part in Earth Hour,” said Maged Eldeeb, director of the sound and light show at the Giza Necropolis. “It commit[s] itself to turning off all sound and light systems in the archeological sites it operates in." The sight of the unlit pyramids left many observers awed. “Egypt's pyramids look so beautiful with the lights off during Earth Hour,” said “Little Miss Daydream,” a poster on the Twitter short-messaging service. “Extra mystical and alluring, I say. Absolutely stunning!” “I say Egypt's pictures [of the event] were the most beautiful,” said Alexa Mich, another Twitter user. Cairo was not the only city which participated in Earth Hour. Residents of Alexandria also took part. Mickey, another Twitter user, reported he was “in Alexandria... sitting in a cafe in total darkness. Awesome!” However, some observers felt the initiative still needed to be embraced by more Egyptians. “Outside the Pyramids, everything went on normally,” wrote an eyewitness for the Xinhua News Agency. “No light was turned off in the souvenir shops, and the only change was that visitors were a little bit fewer, which made each of them have a bigger share of light.” Though usually celebrated, Earth Hour can cause problems. A man was killed in Finland yesterday, reported the Finnish press, after being struck by a motorcyclist. The lights normally illuminating the street had been turned off for Earth Hour. In Norway, residents of Longyearbyen braved an influx of polar bears, normally deterred by the town's electric illumination. The town residents decided participating was worth the risk. Earth Hour began as a project in Sydney in 2007. Devised by the WWF and the Sydney Morning Herald, all residents of Sydney were asked to dim non-essential lights for one hour. The response was overwhelmingly positive, with 2.2 million homes and businesses dimming their lights that year. Other cities worldwide took notice and adopted the initiative, starting in 2008.
