C M Y K B1

News Editors
GREG VAN MOORSEL 519-667-4550
greg.vanmoorsel@sunmedia.ca
HOWARD BURNS 519-667-4562
howard.burns@sunmedia.ca
B
Saturday, March 27, 2010

n EARTH HOUR

EARTH HOUR 2010

Over 4000 cities in 88 countries o�cially switched o� last year to pledge their support for the planet, making
Earth Hour 2009 the world’s largest global climate change initiative.
Earth Hour 2010 is a global call to action to every individual, business and community throughout the world.
It is a call to stand up, take responsibility, get involved and lead the way towards a sustainable future.

Date:
Date: Whatto
What todo:
do:
Sat.,March
Sat., March27
27 Switchoff
Switch offlights
lightstoto
Time:
Time: Votefor
Vote forEarth;
Earth;leaving
leaving
8:30p.m.
8:30 p.m.toto themon
them onisisaavote
votefor
for
9:30p.m.,
9:30 p.m.,local
localtime
time globalwarming
global warming

Earth 2004
n WWF Australia begins
2006
n The name ‘Earth
April 2007
n Plans are developed
29 March 2008
n Earth Hour
is held in 371
Hour’s climate change mainstream
to look at new ways to take Hour” is adopted,
broadening the focus
from “lights out” to
to make Earth Hour
national in Australia.
cities and towns
in more than 35 countries Sydney Opera house
History after being confronted with
serious scientific data sustainability.
International interest
is high.
globally. during Earth Hour.

of
City
The ix spent 2005 31 March 2007 28 March 2009
n ut
Phoe00 to sh or n A campaign based on the idea n The inaugural Earth Hour is held n 4159 cities, towns and municipalities took
f that everyone can take personal
$3,0 s lights ng in Sydney Australia with 2.2 million part in Earth Hour 2009 across 88 countries.
i t
o� our du i rr responsibility for the future of our residents and 2,100 businesses
an h rth Hou planet is envisioned. The project is participating.
Ea 08. originally dubbed “The Big Flick”. Copenhagen
20 Some major cities
that participated:
Montreal Oslo
Edmonton Fredericton Edinburgh
Earth Hour Calgary Winnipeg St. John’s
Helsinki
Moscow
Vancouver London London
participation Chicago
Ottawa
Toronto Lisbon
Kiev
Istanbul
Beijing
San Francisco Atlanta Shanghai
Amman
10
Los Angeles Miami Warsaw Hong Kong
2008 2009 Dubai
Rome Manila
(percentage of Mexico City
20 total population) Bogota Kuala
65%
62%

Guatemala City Tel Aviv Lumpur

59%
58%

30
52%
51%
50%
50%

Singapore
49%

49%

40 Sydney
Cape Town Auckland
40%
38%

50 Wellington
30%
26%

60

70
What can I do in the dark?
• Do some stargazing.
80 Ont. B.C. Alta. Man./Sask. Que. Atlantic Canada • Listen to the birds, bats or other
wildlife.
1,095 landmarks went dark for Earth Hour • Find a great viewing spot to see
90
Earth Hour 2009 2009, including some of the world’s most
iconic:
your town or city go dark at 8:30
p.m.

by the numbers
100 • Patronize local restaurants and
n Sphinx and Pyramids of Giza businesses taking part in Earth
n Bird’s Nest (Olympic Hour.
6% decrease in Ontario’s
electricity usage.
Stadium), Beijing
n Ei�el Tower in Paris
• Have a candle-lit dinner with
friends or family.

15% decrease in Toronto’s

electricity usage. n The Las Vegas Strip
• Meet your neighbours for a
street party.

2% decrease in Sweden’s
electricity usage.
n Christ the Redeemer,
Rio de Janeiro
• Have a night game of shinny with
a fluorescent puck.

140,000 number of n Buckingham Palace • Have a wine or scotch tasting in

and Big Ben the dark.
kWh Vietnam’s Big Ben
electricity demand decreased by. n The Acropolis, Athens • Tell ghost stories.

611 number of MWh the • Play a board game with glow-in-

n The Coliseum, Rome the-dark markers.
Philippines’ electricity
demand decreased by — equivalent n Rio de Janeiro • Take a walk in the dark.
to shutting down a dozen coal-fired Las Vegas strip • Play flashlight tag.
n Empire State Building
power plants for an hour.
n Table Mountain, Cape Town

n ENVIRONMENT: Turning off lights and computers for an hour stresses the importance of Saturday night’s big event n MUSIC: Alternative power being used for concert at JLC

Schools get headstart on Earth Day

JENNIFER O’BRIEN
The London Free Press
London-area students got a
jump on Saturday’s Earth Hour,
plunging themselves into the dark
ahead of the rest of the world.
Across the region, elementary
and secondary schools turned
off lights and computers for an
hour, to support the global phe-
nomenon scheduled for 8:30 p.m.
Saturday.
Meanwhile, students from
23 schools spent Friday at the
Thames Valley District school
board office in London, taking
part in workshops that included
a presentation from a couple
who’ve travelled the continent in
a vegetable-oil fuelled van.
“We only have one place to
live and there is no way we can
make another one,” said Aldbor-
ough public school pupil Hunter
Ross, 9, who was the eco-school
workshop.
Beside him, Joe Johnston, also
in Grade 4 at Aldborough, said
the two were in their school’s eco-
club and have been involved in
several environmental initiatives.
For example, Aldborough has
waste-free Wednesdays, promotes
litter-less lunches and uses good-
on-one-side paper in classrooms,
said Johnston.
“Basically, we try to convince
our school to go green,” he said.
Participating schools have all
shown an interest in the environ-
ment, said Eco-School conference
organizer Christine Holmes.
Workshops included listening
to Tyson Jerry and Cloe Whittaker,
who have spent months driving
across Canada and the U.S. in a
vehicle fuelled by waste vegetable
oil, which they receive free from
restaurants.
Schools in the London Catholic
District school board also pro-
moted Saturday’s Earth Hour, with
local events. St. Michael pupils, for
instance, wore green and brought
litter-less lunches Friday.
Several of the board’s elemen-
tary school principals also turned
off lights and computers for an
hour Friday.
Earth Hour has become a global
call to action, asking people and
communities to support the planet
in a symbolic gesture to reduce
energy consumption for one hour.
Last year, millions of people took
part in more than 4,000 cities and
88 countries, according to the
World Wildlife Fund.
In London, from 8:30 p.m. to
9:30 p.m. Saturday, most lights on
public buildings should be out, as
well as many computers and TVs.
In London, where city hall is
again urging public participation,
Londoners last year reduced elec-
tricity use by almost 11% for Earth
Hour.
Jennifer.obrien@sunmedia.ca
Twitter.com/OBRienatLFPress
About Earth Hour
What: A global hour to reduce
power usage.
How: Turn off lights, TVs,
computers,
When: Saturday 8:30 p.m. to 9:30
p.m.
Why: To show how action can
make a difference in climate
change.
Where: Homes, businesses, com-
munities worldwide.
Billy Talent rockin’ green
JAMES REANEY
The London Free Press
On Earth Hour day, Billy Tal-
ent will rock the John Labatt
Centre with “100% green
electricity.”
The downtown London arena
announced the commitment
Friday. Doors for Saturday’s
concert open at 5:45 p.m.
Billy Talent frontman Ben
Kowalewicz applauded the
move.
“We are so happy to hear that
the John Labatt Centre is par-
ticipating,” Kowalewicz says.
“We would like to express our
thanks to them and also to say
that they inspired us to make a
donation to a Clean Air Fund to
help offset our carbon footprint
for this tour. If everyone chips
in a little, it can make a huge
difference.”
The Canadian rockers head-
line Saturday night’s bill, which
includes Alexisonfire, Against
Me! and Cancer Bats.
The John Labatt Centre
purchased alternative power
through the Toronto-tied Bull-
frog Power Company.
Bullfrog’s electricity comes
from wind and other facili-
ties certified as low-impact by
Environment Canada under its
EcoLogo program.
Bullfrog also powered 2008’s
Linkin Park concert at the
arena.
The John Labatt Centre will
turn down as many exterior
lights as possible during Earth
Hour.
james.reaney@sunmedia.ca
Twitter.com/JamesatLFPress

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