[Glad to be part of Earth Hour again]
Being part of Earth Hour again this year was another great experience. We started with the inaugural event last year and we will continue to build upon the event for many years to come. I hope one day, everyone will be so attuned to this and observe Earth Hour without even having the event.

It needs to be translated from attitudes and beliefs to action. First we need to understand how this contributes to the big picture of conservation of energy, be convinced that any little effort would help. I also learnt about the big picture from the government's point when Mrs Lim spoke to the media. How apt to have someone helming the finance and transport portfolio to tell you about energy conservation. It was a long and informative interview which I hope will be published tomorrow.

But for the time being, here's my speech for the event.

SPEECH BY EPHRAIM LOY, CHAIRMAN, PUNGGOL CC YOUTH EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, ON THE OCCASION OF EARTH HOUR IN THE NORTH EAST HEARTLANDS AT DAMAI SECONDARY SCHOOL ON 28 MARCH 2009 AT 8.00 PM

Mrs Lim Hwee Hua, Senior Minister of State for Finance and Transport,
Mr Adrian Leow, Vice Principal, Damai Secondary School,
Teachers,
Students,

Thank you for taking time off and making the effort to be part of this year’s Earth Hour in the North East Heartlands.

Last year, the Punggol Community Club Youth Executive Committee marked Earth Hour in a big way. This year we made a shift to reach out to our residents in Bedok Reservoir.

I am also heartened to know that this initiative has been picked up by the Community Development Councils in Singapore this year. Even the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also pledged their support towards this initiative by switching on only the minimum lighting required for operations and security as we mark Earth Hour in a few minutes.

Our collaborative efforts with various organisations last year have cemented relations with the Punggol CC YEC. I also hope that through this, students have been able to benefit from this interaction within the neighbourhood.

Let me share an anecdote:

A few years back, I was involved in a project to examine the attitudes of youth towards global warming. The findings of the project revealed that youths do not make special effort towards conservation of resources. The solution to this then lies in the individual: It is the effort and sacrifice that counts.

Small acts like turning off the lights when not needed and not using the air-conditioner contribute towards the bigger picture.

I hope that you would put into practice what you have learnt today and take this experience a step further by sharing your knowledge on energy conservation with others in future too.

I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to Kephren and his team for making this event a success. I would also like to thank our guest-of-honour Mrs Lim Hwee Hua for her presence tonight.

Thank you.