ALMATY, Mar. 28, 2010 (Xinhua News Agency) -- Government institutions and citizens in Kazakhstan joined in the "Earth Hour" activity in one form or another Saturday, and their understanding of the campaign also varied from person to person.
During the one-hour campaign starting from 8:30 p.m.local time,the famous landmark Monument "Astana-Baiterek" in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan,turned off its gorgeous lanterns.
Other landmarks in Astana such as the Presidential Palace, the Supreme Court Building, the Independence Palace, the "Nur-Astana" Central Mosque and the Entertaining Center "Duman" all turned off their lights.
Meanwhile, many Kazakh residents voluntarily joined the "Earth Hour" activity.
"Electricity can't be wasted, it is expensive, so I have always been saving electricity," said a housewife who had turned off her TV and microwave oven.
"On one hand, I do this for myself, on the other hand, it is also beneficial to the whole society," she said.
However, a newly graduated young woman who identified herself only as Olia had a different view on the campaign.
"To be honest, I don't think ("Earth Hour" campaign) is of great significance. Because in our daily life we don't care much about saving electricity," she said, but admitted that "to save electricity is a good thing."
An official with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), had this to say: "We want people to understand the significance of this event and hope that they will cherish energy more."
The "Earth Hour," initiated by the WWF in 2007, calls on households and businesses to turn off their non-essential lights for one hour on the last Saturday night of March. The campaign is aimed at raising public awareness toward the need to take action on climate change.
