Greek landmarks to mark Earth Hour by switching off lights

Greece participated in the worldwide movement of Earth Hour with an hour of darkness at landmark sites across the country on Saturday evening in a move to raise public awareness about climate change.

From the Sacred Rock of the Acropolis hill in central Athens to the international airport Eleftherios Venizelos, lights were switched off symbolically between 8.30 p.m. and 9.30 p.m. local hour, showing Greece's commitment to live sustainably and care for the planet.

The ancient Temple of Parthenon in the Acropolis hill went dark, while lighting in the western runway system of the Athens' airport was turned off for a few minutes.

Thousands of citizens, communities, hotels, businesses and organizations in Greece took part for the seventh year in a row in the Earth Hour which began in Australia in 2007.

The event organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) encourages individuals to turn off their lights for one hour in order to send a message for the protection of the environment.

In Greece, six out of ten citizens are dissatisfied with the quality of life in major cities of the country, according to an opinion poll carried out recently by polling firm Public Issue on behalf of WWF Greece.

According to WWF, "Earth Hour this year gives the opportunity to people to discover a different way of life through their participation in the WWF - Better Life. Its main target is to bring together and encourage people to small, but significant changes both for themselves and for the planet". Endit