Lights were turned off at popular tourist sites and homes around the world on Saturday for Earth Hour 2009, a worldwide event aimed at raising awareness about the dangers of climate change. Landmarks such as the Sydney Opera House, Eiffel Tower, and London's Houses of Parliament dimmed their lights as part of a campaign to promote energy conservation and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The event demonstrated the support of millions of people for governments to reach a new U.N. agreement to combat global warming by the end of 2009, despite concerns about the economic impact. Kim Carstensen, head of a global climate initiative at WWF, expressed optimism about achieving a new climate deal during U.N. climate talks in Bonn, Germany. He mentioned that they were sharing the information with everyone who was turning off their lights, while delegates and activists enjoyed blue cocktails. The U.N. Climate Panel warns that greenhouse gas emissions are causing global warming and will result in increased floods, droughts, heatwaves, rising sea levels, and extinction of animals and plants. Global emissions have increased by 70% since the 1970s, with China now surpassing the United States as the top emitter, followed by the European Union, Russia, and India. One billion people from nearly 90 countries are expected to participate in Earth Hour, which was first held in Australia in 2007 and went global in 2008. The U.N. Climate Panel states that rich nations must reduce their emissions to 25-40% below 1990 levels by 2020 to prevent the worst effects of global warming, while developing nations must also slow the rise of their emissions by the same year. Andy Ridley, the executive director of Earth Hour, explained that the main purpose of the event is to encourage people to consider ways to reduce their carbon footprint, even if only for an hour, and hopefully continue to do so beyond that time. In Asia, landmarks in countries like China, Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines turned off their lights as people enjoyed candle-lit picnics and concerts. In Singapore, buildings in the business district and major landmarks like the Singapore Flyer went dark. Other iconic global landmarks such as the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, the Reserve Bank in Mumbai, the dome of St Peter's Basilica in Rome, the Great Pyramids in Egypt, and the Acropolis in Athens also participated by turning off their lights.