MISSION, HISTORY & EARTH HOUR 2010
On Earth Hour hundreds of millions of people, organizations, corporations and governments around the world will come together to make a bold statement about their concern for climate change by doing something quite simple—turning off their lights for one hour. In the U.S. where we are already feeling the impacts of climate change, Earth Hour sends a clear message that Americans care about this issue and want to turn the lights out on dirty air, dangerous dependency on foreign oil and costly climate change impacts, and make the switch to cleaner air, a strong economic future and a more secure nation.
Participation is easy. By flipping off your lights on March 27th at 8:30 p.m. local time you will be making the switch to a cleaner, more secure nation and prosperous America. View thetoolkits, to find out what else you can do to get involved including leading the Earth Hour movement in your community.
SET YOUR CLOCK
On Saturday, March 27, 2010 at 8:30 p.m. local time, Earth Hour will once again cascade around the globe, from New Zealand to Hawaii
SPARKING A MOVEMENT
Since its inception three years ago, Earth Hour’s non-partisan approach has captured the world’s imagination and became a global phenomenon. Nearly one billion people turned out for Earth Hour 2009 – involving 4,100 cities in 87 countries on seven continents.
Last year, 80 million Americans and 318 U.S. cities officially voted for action with their light switch, joining iconic landmarks from around the world that went dark for Earth Hour, including:
- Empire State Building
- Brooklyn Bridge
- Broadway Theater Marquees
- Las Vegas Strip
- United Nations Headquarters
- Golden Gate Bridge
- Seattle’s Space Needle
- Church of Latter-Day Saints Temple
- Gateway Arch in St. Louis
- Great Pyramids of Giza
- Acropolis and Parthenon in Athens
- Christ the Redeemer Statue in Rio de Janeiro
- St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City
- Big Ben and Houses of Parliament in London
- Elysee Palace and Eiffel Tower in Paris
- Beijing’s Birds Nest and Water Cube
- Symphony of Lights in Hong Kong
- Sydney’s Opera House
Impacts of Climate Change
- Because of climate change, the loss of Arctic sea ice is destroying the habitats of polar bears and walruses, threatening their survival.
- Because of climate change, In the Caribbean, warmer temperatures are skewing gender ratios of sea turtles, undermining the stability of the species.
- Because of climate change winter sports such as skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing could become a thing of the past in many areas of the US.
- From trout fishing in Montana to waterfowl hunting in Arkansas, many recreational activities enjoyed by Americans are at risk from climate change.
- Most of us will experience climate change in the form of extreme weather: floods, droughts, heat waves and stronger storms and hurricanes.
- Globally, climate change is causing glacial melt, sea level rise, loss of Arctic sea ice, increased insect infestation, wider spread of diseases and extreme weather events.
Understanding your carbon footprint
- Most greenhouse gases are caused by the burning of fossil fuels for electricity generation and transportation.
- Deforestation is another major driver of climate change, responsible for more carbon pollution than the entire global transportation sector.
- A carbon footprint is a measure of the impact human activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of carbon pollution produced.
- Simple ways to reduce your carbon footprint include: walk more, use public transportation, only buy what you need and recycle.
Tips to living green
- Purchase energy efficient appliances. They cut carbon pollution and save you money!
- Make sure your dishwasher and washing machine are always full before you run them as this will save energy and money
- Weather-proofing your home is a great way to save energy. Caulk your doors and windows, add insulation or add shades to use in the summer!
- Leaving your computer for awhile? Put it on stand-by & it will take less energy than shutting down and restarting
- Fix leaking faucets. The constant drip wastes water, energy and money, so repair them as soon as possible.
- Eat more veggies! On average, it takes nearly 10 times as much fossil fuel to produce animal protein compared to plant protein
- Unplug appliances and phone charges when they aren’t in use. If they’re plugged in, they’re drawing energy and costing you money.
All information taken from www.myearthhour.org Please go to www.myearthhour.org and pledge that you will turn your lights off for an hour it only takes a second.
