Readers try and conserve resources as often as possible

Dubai: Gulf News readers observe Earth Hour as often as possible by doing their best to reduce their consumption.

Padma Sudhakar, an Indian national living in Dubai, switched off all the house lights and electrical gadgets and took her family out to the park during last year's Earth Hour.

She said: "It has become more of a tradition as we are also doing it this year."

Sudhakar, an executive secretary, is now conscious about everything she uses and what she throws away.

Reducing waste

Her family has continued to be eco-friendly by eliminating the use of disposable cutlery, closing the tap when brushing their teeth and turning off their lights when not in the room.

She said: "Although I might not know how much I am saving, I am sure that I have decreased the amount of waste."

Nadia Al Rayayesa, an Emirati retail bank executive, is not planning to spend Earth Hour sitting in the dark. She said: "It would be nice to have a candlelit dinner with my family."

Nadia added that it would also be fun to sit and share stories and then go out and watch the stars.

She added: "I have seen myself become more environmentally friendly and it may seem like I am only contributing little but if everyone joins, the results would be impressive."

Vaishnav Rajkumar, an eight-year-old Indian student, is joining his friends for an electricity-free night out.

He said: "During the past year I have realised the increasing importance of being environmentally friendly."

Rajkumar, a Sharjah resident, refrained from using plastic bags and started saving water and electricity at every chance he had.

Time to act

He also participated in countless campaigns such as Clean Up UAE, Can Collection Drive, and Heroes of the UAE.

Speaking about Earth Hour, Rajkumar said: "To those who have not thought about doing anything during Earth Hour, there is only one thing I would like to say - wake up before it is too late!"

Ana O'Reilly, an American national residing in Dubai, has a tradition wherein every year during Earth Hour she switches off all the electricity in the house and goes out to camp in the desert with friends.

O'Reilly, an executive assistant, also saves the Earth by recycling plastic, glass, cans, and turning old papers into notepads..

She added: "I have asked the security guard in my office to switch off all air conditioners and lights at night when nobody is around."