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COUNTRIES ACROSS THE world have already been observing Earth Hour today, with Hong Kong’s skyline dimmed and the sails on Sydney’s Opera House going dark today.
Millions of people are expected to take part in the annual event organised by conservation group WWF, with hundreds of well-known sights including the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Seattle Space Needle set to plunge into darkness.
Earth hour takes place from 8.30pm local time and encourages citizens, communities, businesses and organisations to switch the lights off for an hour to highlight the plight of the planet.
This year it comes ahead of a crucial UN meeting in Paris in December which is bringing together the global community in an effort to limit global warming.
The initiative began in Sydney in 2007 but quickly went global.
“Over 170 countries and territories have already confirmed their participation; more than 1,200 landmarks and close to 40 UNESCO world heritage sites,” Earth Hour head Sudhanshu Sarronwala told AFP ahead of the event.
Earth Hour’s goal is not to achieve measurable electricity savings, but to raise awareness of the need for sustainable energy use, and this year also to demand action to halt planet-harming climate change.
“We hope that with each light switch that goes off, the light cast on people calling for action becomes clearer and paves the way ahead for climate action,” said Sarronwala.
- With reporting from AFP.
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Some joke! Had my smear on 31st October. Surgery told me it will be mid April before l get results. That is 5 months plus of a turnaround. Women are going to fall down in the streets at this rate. After everything, this government does not care.
@Evelyn Gillen: women should get the HPV vaccine. Its approved to 45 yrs old
@Evelyn Gillen: I had mine at well women and it took only 7 weeks to get the results last September . They are rather good and take part in cervical check programme . Check where a clinic around you is .
@Isabel Oliveira: Thanks, l was told by my surgery if l take a private test it will cost €150 and will take the same amount of time as it’s the same lab testing. I am looking into other options.
@Evelyn Gillen: they take part in the programme which is great and they don’t send their tests to the USA which is even better . I have chosen to do one every year as I had abnormal results some years ago and don’t want to chance it doing it only every 3 years as per the programme allowance and I think 2017 test ( which is outside of programme ) I did pay 100 euros . Last year it was free as it was part of cervical check .
@Isabel Oliveira: Yes I had mine done in well woman too.Always do as my G.P doesnt facilitate cervical check.Took 9 weeks.
@Evelyn Gillen: 7-9 weeks if you’re willing to pay more. Nearly 7months if not in an area where speed of knowledge is paramount. What a disgusting system.
‘varadkar said harris informed him a few weeks ago’
While in an M&S queue or officially? Surely if it was the latter there’d be minutes taken. So he’d know exactly when
@Bill Clay: A few weeks ago they were on holidays, was probably over a glass of Eggnog as they pulled Christmas crackers. Just one of those things you slip in for convivial conversation.
@Bill Clay: how in the name of God do people put up with such shoddy politicians like these numpties? Must be scrapings of the bottom of the barrel bearing in mind our very best people have left.
Harris studied to be a journalist, he is in charge of Ireland’s national health services and hasn’t a clue what he is doing,remove him as enough lives have been lost due to his lack of knowledge and management skills.
@@mdmak33: studied and didn’t qualify…shows his character really doesn’t it..
Might as well lash out all the bad news out while Brexit has the headlines….. I`m just surprised they didn`t wait until midnight on Friday though
Just had a repeat smear taken today. I had one in October last but it wasn’t clear they said. How could I have had a reading as quickly as that if, as I told by the nurse taking it today, it is taking 6 months for a result.
Why did the minister advise people to have extra tests done which have now caused a serious backlog to an already pressurised situation. 6 months for a result is just too long
@@UK: women should get the HPV vaccine. Its approved to 45 years old. I got it at 26 years old. I still get smear tests but im sure at least a couple of women will benefit from the vaccine.
The Irish media are as much to blame. In fact I’d go as far as saying they are more to blame because it is their job to hold these politicians to account, but instead pander to them.
It’s sickening.
@Bill Clay: The Irish media “ Are “ the government!
@Bill Clay: what media? FFFG and Danny ?
@Gus Sheridan: read Dinny ..bloody spellcheck
What a farce of a setup. Martin and FF telling FG you’re doing this wrong and doing that wrong and doing everything wrong, but together, they are destroying the country.
What does Simon Harris have to do to lose his job? He’s clearly totally out of his depth and Ireland can’t afford to keep him as Minister for Health until an anticipated cabinet reshuffle in the Summer.
I’ve been waiting 6 months. As someone who has previous treatment it’s very stressful to be waiting this long for a result. The way things are going I’ll be due my next test by the time the results for this one come back!
What if these women waiting have symptoms of cervical cancer? Now they have to retest!! This seems wrong!
Disgraceful
The risk on this is huge, we have a system that failed 221 women not once but multiple times. How can you have that many repeated fails.
We had had what was described as the ruthless Dr.Scally his report which seems to be a handling function by a person who has worked for HSE before and is a private consultancy firm, he knew his job. Seems even using non ISO labs tis fine.
You either buy capacity in for the failed system while you fix or load it into the private system or do something equivalent. You don’t do a Lucius Commodus and announce new tests for everyone cause you got caught in the headlights. This will yield undoubtedly lead to a new clump of life threatening illness. The game is always , always time with these guys. If you’d Lead you’d be given all the time you wanted.
The words ‘plot’ and ‘lost’ come to mind
How further has Leo to go to prove he really hates women.
Can we not set up a cervical check facility in Ireland?!
@Lisa McDonnell: we could easily if we had a government that didn’t have a globalist agenda and try and privatise everything.
Funny how all the women had a love in with these two idiots to give them the 8th repeal they need for the EU but no one ever thought they’d turn their backs on women so soon? Pull the other one!
It beggars belief Martin FF stands up everyday and slates the Government the way they are running the Country and when it comes to a vote of no confidence he votes for FG to stay in Government. This man and his Party are a national disgrace .
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