Green Sense is calling on Hongkongers to switch off their air conditioners for 12 hours, starting at 7pm, on September 29. Now in its second year, the No Air-Con Night campaign encourages people to rely less on air conditioning to tackle the city's worsening air pollution.
'If citizens can use less air-con, they could save more money and help slow global warming,' project manager Gabrielle Ho Ka-po says.
Last year, the group said 320 tonnes of carbon dioxide emission were reduced. This time, it expects 60,000 households to sign up and reduce 50 more tonnes of emission - 370 tonnes of emission would take 15,000 trees to absorb in a year.
Ho suggests participants use other ways to reduce the indoor temperature. For example, open the windows or wear lighter clothes.
A Green Sense survey this month found that 70 per cent of respondents stay in air conditioning for at least 18 hours every day. Although 65 per cent know air conditioners use the most power among household appliances, more than half still used them overnight in the first week of this month.
For more details, go to noaircon2011.blogspot.com