120 countries to join Earth Hour on March 27.

MEXICO CITY: Some 120 countries have expressed their interest in joining the “Time of the Planet” to be hosted on March 27 at 8.30pm local time, the World Fund for the Nature said in Mexico.

This will be the third consecutive year that this initiative is promoted at world level, the Fund’s general director Omar Vidal, cited by Xinhua news agency, as saying.

Vidal said the initiative is aimed at making people aware of and showing concern for the global warming, which is an issue affecting all the world.

“The Time of the Planet” is about turning off the lights for one hour in the houses, offices and buildings,” Vidal said.

He noted that “we know that even if all the world would turn off the lights for one hour, the energy supply problem will not be solved, but it is a strong message for more people to join this civil initiative.”

The initiative seeks that the message reaches to the top leaders of the world during the next Climate Change Summit to be hosted in Cancun, Mexico, to make them take urgent measures to face the problem, Vidal said.

He told that in 2009, a total of 4,100 cities in the world joined the activity, and according to him it was the largest massive participation registered at any environmental issue.

“All the people who participated in showed their concern for the climate change and they turned the lights for one hour,” Vidal said. -- Bernama