Hong Kong ready and willing to be left in the dark for a worthy cause

Global conservation body WWF hosted an event at Harbour City on Saturday afternoon to remind everyone about this year's Earth Hour energy saving campaign, which encourages everyone on the planet to switch off all their lights from 8.30pm to 9.30pm on March 28.

To give the campaign some extra appeal, WWF - whose mission has expanded from its focus on animals to energy conservation - trotted out several celebrities, but the appearance of beloved cartoon character McDull seemed to draw most attention, especially with children, who raced to get their picture taken with him. Also doing his part is singer/songwriter Chet Lam, who composed a tune for the cause while gazing at the stars on holiday in Vienna.

'I have always loved being out in the wilderness and feeling close to nature,' Lam said. 'I remember being 17 and catching a glimpse of the Milky Way in Mongolia, or the time I was covered in a blanket of stars while lying down in the red desert in Australia's Outback. I want to see people live in harmony with nature.'

The target in Hong Kong is to have a million people switch off and save. More than 200 companies and about 250 buildings have already pledged to support Earth Hour, including HSBC, Sino Group and Cathay Pacific. We may be the City of Lights, but in this case we don't mind being left in the dark.