Aric Bickel of the Division of Environmental Quality, who was yesterday’s speaker during the Rotary Club meeting at the Hyatt
Regency Saipan, said climate change is the number one environmental issue of the 21st century.
Bickel said the hottest years on record globally since 1856 have occurred in the last 15 years.
“As average temperature increases, habitats, species and people are threatened by drought, rainfall, altered seasons, and more violent storms and floods,” Bickel said.
Carbon dioxide emissions must be curbed drastically, he added.
Support Earth Hour
“We are urging the whole community to participate in Earth Hour 2010 by turning off the lights in your buildings, facilities and signages from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. on March 27,” Bickel said.
The act of turning out the light is a symbolic statement to show what each individual can do to make a difference in their day to day activities to reduce emissions and to educate the community about the threat of global warning, he added.
Bickel encourages everyone to sign up at www.earthhour.org, or help spread the word about the need to reduce carbon emissions.
There are three ways to support Earth Hour, he said: to participate, outreach by spreading the word, and financial support.
Earth Hour began in Sydney in March 2007 when 2.2 million people and 2,100 businesses turned off their lights for one hour to show that “working together can make a difference on climate change.”
In 2008, 50 million people from 35 countries and 370 cities participated in Earth Hour. Last year, 4,159 cities, towns and municipalities in 88 countries participated.
Bickel said in 2009, lights were turned off in famous landmarks including the pyramids and the Sphinx in Giza, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Bird’s Nest Stadium in Beijing, and Christ the Redeemer in Brazil.
“This year, we would like to put the CNMI on the list of participants,” Bickel said.
Bickel worked in Fiji before he joined DEQ six weeks ago.
For more information on Earth Hour, call 664-8513, or e-mail [email protected].
