Newfoundland and Labrador could find itself in the
dark for one hour tomorrow, Saturday, March 27. From 8:30 p.m. - 9:30
p.m., residents of Newfoundland and Labrador are encouraged to turn off
their lights as part of Earth Hour 2010 and to raise awareness about
climate change.
"Every step we take to reduce our impact on the
environment is important, regardless of how small the action," said the
Honourable Charlene Johnson, Minister of Environment and Conservation.
"Participation in Earth Hour is a wonderful example of how one simple
action can have such a positive effect, and we can join together with
family and friends for this event. Climate change is a serious issue
that is affecting us all. In fact, Canada has just experienced the
warmest and driest winter on record with temperatures four degrees above
normal across the country and 22 per cent less precipitation. I have
every confidence that Newfoundlanders and Labradorians will do their
part to support this climate change initiative."
The World Wildlife Federation (WWF) created Earth Hour
in 2007 to encourage individuals to take action on climate change by
seeking meaningful emission reductions through the establishment of
greater policies and regulations. Earth Hour has grown from a single
event in Sydney, Australia, in 2007 to a global phenomenon with hundreds
of millions of people now participating.
"Earth Hour calls on each of us to take action and
make an individual difference in the fight against climate change and I
encourage everybody across Newfoundland and Labrador to participate,"
said the Honourable Kathy Dunderdale, Minister of Natural Resources.
"With our significant supply of clean, renewable energy resources, we
are well-positioned to reduce our own environmental footprint as a
province, and to assist others to meet their climate change goals
through exporting our excess energy."
The WWF reviews online sign-ups for Earth Hour and
conducts post-event polling to measure participation. Electricity
utilities around the country will also measure the impact on the
electricity grid, and households and businesses can measure usage by
comparing energy bills. The dollar amount saved and the average daily
usage in kilowatt hours (kWh) can serve as indicators by comparing them
with previous energy bills.
For more information on Earth Hour, visit
www.earthhourcanada.org
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