"Earth Hour" gains young generation's support worldwide

BEIJING, March 26 (Xinhua) -- The world's adults may still be arguing over ways to fight climate change but the future caretakers of our planet are already active in saving energy and protecting the environment.

On Saturday, young generations across the globe will join the world to switch off lights for 60 minutes for this year's "Earth Hour," in a bid to raise the awareness of climate problems.

The event, which began in Sydney in 2007 when the city went dark in a call for action from individuals and communities to build a better future, has become increasingly popular and thousands of towns and cities in more than 120 countries are expected to embrace darkness on 8:30 p.m. local time this year.

In France, where the landmark Eiffel Tower will once again be powered off on Saturday, 10-year-old Parisian Celine recalled her memory during last year's "Earth Hour."

"I saw at the time that the Eiffel Tower went dark bit by bit from the top to the bottom. I was a little worried at first, as the tower might be invisible when lights were all off," Celine said.

"But I found later that I could still see it without lights and it was a different view from what we used to see," the girl said, adding she was fond of such a lights-off activity because it not only enables her to see different sceneries, but more importantly, saves electricity.

Thirteen-year-old Anna, living in the western French city of Rennes, could not see a dark Eiffel, but also had a fantastic "blackout" moment a year ago.

"I heard about the campaign from a friend on the internet, and thought it a novelty. It was late for me to join any public event at that time, so I, with my parents, turned off the lights in the room to show our support," Anna said.

"We felt unaccustomed for some time at first, but then mother lit up a candle and we started chatting. That made the night joyful and meaningful," she said.

In Italy, where the lights will also be doused on the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa, 10-year-old boy Luca said the campaign was symbolic in helping the planet.

"It's a small gesture but very important. We are all responsible for climate change and I wish there were more Earth Days," Luca added.

Giulia, an 11-year-old Italian girl, said: "I am not afraid of the dark because, when the lights are off, there's the moonshine illuminating the city."

Only two cities in South Korea, Seoul and Changwon, joined the global call to go dark for an hour last year, but a total of 50 cities and towns will follow the trend this year. It also helps to increase the popularity of "Earth Hour" among children in the country.

Kwon Young-woo, a 10-year-old South Korean boy who dreams of becoming a scientist and doing everything to save the earth, told Xinhua the idea was new to him, but he thought it would help the planet survive.

"I will definitely join the event on Saturday. I will also ask mother to turn off the floor heating system and close the window, because that helps to keep the temperature in the room and saves a lot of energy," Kwon said.

Kim Sun-won, an 11-year-old, also said he would disconnect the plugs at home when he was not using the household appliances in the future.

Mariah, a young student from Kiev, Ukraine, said the event was a call for creating better life.

"The stars will be brighter when lights are off. And there will be less noise," said the girl. "We could have a moment of calmness in the beautiful darkness."