Sydney in global warming blackout

Updated 15.29 Sat Mar 31 2007

Keywords: Harbour Bridge, Sydney Opera House, Global warming, Sydney

Sydney's businesses and homeowners switched off their lights on Saturday evening to highlight the fight against global warming.

The iconic white sails of the Sydney Opera House darkened, as did the Harbour Bridge and parts of the city's skyline.

Throughout the city residents turned off the lights in an event organised by environmentalists and supported by Sydney city officials and the New South Wales state government.

Emergency and street lights, as well as those at commercial port operations, stayed on.

Throughout the city residents turned off the lights in an event organised by environmentalists and supported by Sydney city officials and the New South Wales state government.

Australia is currently ranked as the world's worst greenhouse gas emitter per capita, largely because it is heavily reliant on coal-fired power stations.

The government is under pressure to deal with climate change since last summer's drought, which was Australia's worst in over a century.