Date:16/07/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/16/stories/2008071658640200.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

August campaign says 8-minute darkness will throw light on need to fight global warming

Staff Reporter

Campaign to spread importance of global warming
“This is a wake up call to start an eco-friendly lifestyle”

— Photo : M. Vedhan

warm together: School students participating in a cycle rally at Ayanavaram on Sunday.

CHENNAI: As 888 school students from eight schools in the city riding bicycles for three km chanted ‘Eight, eight, eight, eight; lights out eight,’ the campaign to cool the earth only warmed up students towards their mission of fighting global warming.

Call to students

Riding a bicycle himself actor Pandiarajan, on Sunday, urged the students to “help control global warming.”

“People have been requested to switch off lights for eight minutes at 8 p.m. on August 8, 2008 to stress the importance of global warming and spread the message of the 2500 scientists of the Inter Governmental Panel on Climate Change, convened in Paris in February 2008,” said M.B.Nirmal, Founder, Exnora International.

“The Chief Minister and the Local Administration Minister have agreed to support the campaign,” said Preetam Alex, project coordinator.

“This is a wake up call to start an eco-friendly lifestyle,” said Miriam Chaco, Convener of the Project. In darkness does light shine brightest and in the same way we want people to take a pledge in the eight minutes of darkness to start an eco-friendly lifestyle, she added.