The Presidential Office Building will participate from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on March 26 in a worldwide campaign spanning 130 countries and 750 landmarks, including the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Eiffel Tower, to mark 2011 Earth Hour. The lights at iconic buildings in Taipei, such as the Taipei 101 tower and the Citi Building, along with designated historical sites in Taipei City and picturesque bridges, will be turned off for one hour, as Taipei participates in this activity to pray for the Earth.
To implement President Ma Ying-jeou's administrative policy of "saving the country through environmental protection," the Presidential Office Building began carrying out an energy conservation and carbon reduction project on World Environment Day on June 5, 2008. In comparison with the same month (or same period) of the year prior to the project, as of the end of February 2011, electricity usage has been cut by 25.1%, gasoline usage by 32.8%, water consumption by 15.3%, and paper usage by 10% thanks to the efforts of everyone working at the building. The money saved is not much, but it demonstrates the government's determination at all levels to realize environmentally friendly policies.
The Office of the President is urging the public to support this year's Earth Hour by getting into the habit of turning off lights. The Office also hopes that people will keep in mind the victims of the March 11 earthquake in Japan and send our best wishes that they might overcome the difficulties and begin rebuilding their homes and communities as soon as possible.