Many lights and symbolic buildings go off in Latvia

For the fourth time during Earth Hour lights have been turned off in Latvia with heads of the government showing strong support for this event.

Earth Hour in Latvia is supported by State Parliament Saeima, Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis and State President Valdis Zatlers. “I have supported the ‘Earth Hour’ for several years now, because it offers a practical opportunity for every resident of this planet to switch off the lights for one hour, thus taking part in the pursuit of a common goal in terms of promoting green thinking and the sustainability of our planet. By taking an active part in this, as opposed to standing around the sidelines, we confirm that we are concerned about the climate changes that are occurring in our environment,” says President Valdis Zatlers.

The Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis encourages all the state and local authorities to participate in the Earth Hour. A list of suggestions of how to become more efficient and sustainable is publicized and authorities are strongly advised to implement different efficiency measures after the Earth Hour.

Also Saeima took part in Earth Hour by turning off the floodlights illuminating the façades of its buildings for one hour. This is the third year that the parliament is participating in this annual event. In order to save energy on a daily basis, the buildings of the parliament are illuminated economically by reducing the power and switching off the lights from night until early morning. Indoors the Saeima uses compact fluorescent light bulbs, or so-called energy-saving bulbs. That has cut expenditures for indoor lighting and floodlighting of façades by 40%. Inside the buildings of the Saeima, 45% of light bulbs have already been replaced by energy-saving ones.

In total, 38 cities and municipalities took part in Earth Hour 2011 in Latvia accompanied by many international and local companies and households. A number of local Earth Hour events were celebrated in different parts of Latvia in the form of acoustic concerts, gatherings of people in the main squares of different towns, chore concerts, among many other things.


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Information prepared by

Edīte Husare
Earth Hour project manager in Latvia
Pasaules Dabas Fonds (in association with WWF)
+37167505640, +37129509672
ehusare@pdf.lv
www.pdf.lv