Gormley urges public to switch off lights and appliances at 8pm

Minister for the Environment John Gormley says people should "switch off and switch on to a new way of thinking" as part of Earth Hour tonight.

The Green Party leader has urged the general public to take part in Earth Hour, a global initiative to highlight the contribution people can make to tackling climate change through reduced energy use.

Public buildings, homes and businesses in Dublin, and 24 cities across the globe will be switching off non-essential lighting and equipment for one hour between 8pm and 9pm this evening.

All non-essential lighting, including flood-lighting, will be turned off at the Custom House, the Department of the Environment's headquarters, and other major public buildings around Dublin as part of the initiative.

"Earth Hour is a wonderful opportunity for people and businesses to switch off and switch on to a new way of thinking," said Gormley. "We can demonstrate through Earth Hour that individual action can make a difference on climate change."

"Through participating in Earth Hour, people can show their commitment to taking action on climate change. Climate change will impact on every one of us, and we can all do something about it."