Join BMA's Light Out Campaign at 7pm

Mitigating world climate change is not beyond the power of individuals. Join hands with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA)'s campaign, starting this evening, to turn off non essential lights.

Governor Apirak Kosayodhin called on Bangkokians to join his campaign to mitigate global warming by switching off lights for 15 minutes from 7pm this evening. He hopes the campaign, coming into effect on the 9th of each month, will help to reduce the city's excessive energy consumption which contributes to the problem of climate change.

Apirak said he wanted to show Bangkok residents that everyone can contribute to avert global warming.

Six major business areas - Khao San, Yaowarat, Silom, Ratchadapisek, New Phetchaburi and Ratchaprasong - are expected to fall into relative darkness this evening as store and billboard light are turned off. Individual are also asked to switch off nonessential household lights.

As the country's capital, Bangkok is a major source of greenhouse gases with 3050 per cent of total energy consumption concentrated in the city. Statistics show that last year Bangkok residents devoured 206 million kilowatts of electricity, 34 million litres of oil, 400,000 litres of gasohol and 25,000 kilograms of natural gas.

Apirak said switching lights off for 15 minutes in the entire city will reduce the emission of greenhouse gases by as much as 4,800 tonnes.

The Nation

"Lights off" campaign in Bangkok combats global warming  

BANGKOK, May 9 (TNA) - The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) kicked off Wednesday a campaign in the capital of 10 million to reduce impact of climate change with mixed responses.

Millions of lights across the metropolis were turned off by the capital's observant world citizens for 15 minutes from 7 pm as part of a City Hall campaign to raise public awareness of the contribution of electric lighting to severe global warming. The event was designed to encourage the public to change  lifestyles to help reduce an otherwise developing catastrophy.

However, the success of the campaign has yet to be confirmed. Many visitors and shopkeepers on Khao San Road, one of five locations where the activities were broadcast live, knew little about the campaign.

Besides the "lights off" campaign, Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin on Wednesday signed a BMA Declaration of Cooperation on Alleviating Global Warming Problems with 35 public and private organisations at UNESCAP, the Asia-Pacific regional headquarters of the United Nations.

"We hope our contribution will not only help people in Bangkok, but also the whole of Thailand, and of course other countries. Global warming is a world issue," Governor Apirak said.

Bangkok's BMA Declaration outlines five ways to reduce global warming – consume less natural resources, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, promote lifestyles upholding the sufficiency economy,  promote activities to help absorb greenhouse gases, and educating the public about global warming.

The BMA declaration was warmly embraced by Dr. Chirapol Sintunawa, a well-known environmental expert at Mahidol University.

"It's hard to say that this event is a big success, but it's a first step for a big city like Bangkok to do something," Dr. Chirapol said. "The BMA should have started this project long ago, but never mind. Today is not too late."

The BMA Declaration will be presented at the C40 Large Cities Climate Summit to be held in New York City next week. Leaders of city governments and international businesses from over 40 of the world's largest cities, including Bangkok, will discuss their roles in reducing carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions.

TNA

Did anyone turn off their lights?

Wonder where that idea came from? Sydney about a month ago? Shame they didn't tell anybody.