World climate is fast changing, creating a major negative impact on the livelihood of the global community. Though belated, desperate measures are being taken to save the earth from further devastation. If the ‘Earth Hour’ continued for a year uninterrupted the CEB could save Rs. 8 billion, Power and Energy Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka said.

The ‘Earth Hour 2013’ was scheduled to take place between 8.30 p.m. and 9.30 p.m. on March 23, 2013. The programme expects the assistance of all Sri Lankans to make it a success, he added. Addressing the ‘Earth Hour 2013’ conference at the Lakshman Kadirgamar Centre, Minister Ranawaka pointed out that saving energy was not an easy task even for an hour as the loss that would be sustained by the economy by blacking out for an hour per day round the year would be an enormous Rs. 80 billion.

“This is the difficulty faced by policy planners in any country. The saving of energy must not affect the economic progress while environment protection must also get priority. The challenge before policy planners and energy suppliers was to find a way out when use of fossil fuel comes to an end in the next two to three decades,” Minister Ranawaka stressed.

He said the only solution to face the depletion of fossil fuel was to develop alternative energy or recycled energy sources which would have no ill effects on the environment.

The ‘Earth Hour 2013’ conveys a new message to 152 countries as a small effort to protect the environment. The programme expects the assistance of all Sri Lankans to make it a success, he added.

The function was attended by the creator of the ‘Earth Hour’ Andy Ridley, Environment Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa and Western Province Environment Minister Udaya Gammanpila.

Source: Daily Mirror - Sri Lanka