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Bee’ah, The Sharjah Environment Company Joins with Many around the World to Demonstrate Support for Earth Hour with

3/30/2008 3:25:00 AM

• Bee’ah, the Sharjah Environment Company, is pleased to announce its participation in yesterday’s Earth Hour. As well as turning off its own lights and electrical appliances for one hour, Bee’ah encouraged residents, businesses and the American University of Sharjah (AUS) to do the same, acting in unison with others across the Emirate of Sharjah, across the entire United Arab Emirates and around the world.

Bee’ah, The Sharjah Environment Company Joins with Many around the World to Demonstrate Support for Earth Hour with

Bee’ah, The Sharjah Environment Company Joins with Many around the World to Demonstrate Support for Earth Hour with
    
Lights Extinguished, Appliances Turned off to Highlight the Issue of Climate Change and Show how Everyone can Help

(Sharjah, United Arab Emirates) – 30 March 2008 – Bee’ah, the Sharjah Environment Company, is pleased to announce its participation in yesterday’s Earth Hour. As well as turning off its own lights and electrical appliances for one hour, Bee’ah encouraged residents, businesses and the American University of Sharjah (AUS) to do the same, acting in unison with others across the Emirate of Sharjah, across the entire United Arab Emirates and around the world.

Lights were extinguished and appliances turned off across the UAE between 8.00 and 9.00 p.m., reducing power consumption by a significant amount. Last year, when the first Earth Hour took place in Sydney, Australia, the demand for power across the city over the entire city went down by 10.2%.

The success of Earth Hour last year has resulted in an expansion of the event across the globe, with businesses, academic institutions and individuals taking part in every continent. The event sends out a powerful message that more needs to be done to counter climate change. Over 285,000 individuals and 20,000 businesses have signed up to promise their involvement.

As well as being both symbolic and practical event, Earth Hour raises consciousness among participants and their peers – becoming a true catalyst for change. In a recent survey, 50 percent of Canadians taking part in Earth Hour said that they are more aware of the need to save energy and go green in the future.

The idea that small steps taken by many people can effect enormous change is central to both the concept of Earth Hour and the mission of Bee’ah to turn Sharjah into a ‘green’ Emirate with sustainable environmental best practices. This mission is being realized in a sustainable way itself; initially, pilot recycling schemes, together with the installation of pedestrian recycling facilities on the Sharjah Corniche, are allowing people to make enormous positive impact through small changes to their living habits.

Commenting on the expansion of Earth Hour and its benefits, Mr. Samer Kamal, Managing Director of Bee’ah said, “The rapid expansion of Earth Hour is wonderful news for us all. It shows powerfully how the cumulative effect of small actions can make an enormous difference. The great news is that making these differences is not limited to once a year – but can be a part of our everyday lives.

“Turning off lights or appliances more regularly, using less plastic bags, making short journeys on foot or by bicycle, turning air conditioning off or operating it at higher temperature, recycling waste where possible….all these small actions can, among many people and over time, have enormous beneficial impact on the environment and reduction of the threats posed by climate change..”


About Bee’ah – The Sharjah Environment Co.
Bee’ah is a Public Private Partnership (PPP) Environmental Company, founded in 2007, operating in the Emirate of Sharjah. The primary mission of Bee’ah is to help transform Sharjah into a ‘green’ Emirate with sustainable environmental best practices, providing fully integrated environmental strategic solutions and services for commercial, industrial and residential groups. For more information, please visit www.beeah-uae.com

About Earth Hour
On 31 March 2007, 2.2 million people and 2100 Sydney businesses turned off their lights for one hour - Earth Hour. If the greenhouse reduction achieved in the Sydney CBD (Central Business District) during Earth Hour was sustained for a year, it would be equivalent to taking 48,616 cars off the road for a year.

With Sydney icons like the Harbour Bridge and Opera House turning their lights off, and unique events such as weddings by candlelight, the world took notice. Inspired by the collective effort of millions of Sydneysiders, many major global cities are joining Earth Hour in 2008, turning a symbolic event into a global movement. For more information, visit www.earthhour.org