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Environment and Conservation
March 21, 2013

The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Tom Hedderson, Minister of Environment and Conservation:

An Hour of Darkness Will Help the Earth

Mr. Speaker, each of us has a responsibility for the sustainability of our planet and every action, big or small, collectively helps to make a difference. I rise in this Honourable House today to draw attention to Earth Hour 2013 taking place this coming Saturday at 8:30 p.m., when every resident in our province is asked to join together in solidarity for our Earth and turn off their lights for one hour.

Since Earth Hour first began as a single-city event in Sydney, Australia, in 2007, it has grown to a global phenomenon involving more than 7,000 cities and towns in 152 countries and territories with hundreds of millions of participants across seven continents. It has quickly grown to be the largest ever voluntary action whereby people, businesses, and governments come together to celebrate a commitment to a common cause – the Earth.

While Earth Hour has helped raise the profile of sustainability issues, Mr. Speaker, it is important that we pledge to do more than switch off our lights for one hour each year. The 2013 I Will If You Will concept invites individuals and organizations to challenge others to an ongoing environmental commitment beyond the hour.

Mr. Speaker, there are many sustainable practices we can adopt beyond observing Earth Hour. We can ensure we turn off lights when not in use, recycle whenever possible, ensure vehicle tires are inflated properly, compost and install water-saving devices, to name a few. To assist the people of our province take action, our government launched the Turn Back the Tide public awareness campaign last fall on climate change and energy efficiency. At the heart of the campaign is a website, www.turnbackthetide.ca , which is designed to be a user friendly one-stop-shop for information and advice targeted at individuals, businesses and communities. From a global perspective, actions taken by individuals around the world can positively affect the future of our planet. Our Turn Back the Tide initiative can help Newfoundlanders and Labradorians extend our commitment to the planet long after we turn the lights back on this Saturday evening.

I encourage every household throughout Newfoundland and Labrador to join the worldwide movement at 8:30 p.m. local time on March 23 and share in one hour of darkness for the Earth. Together, our actions really do make a difference for our environment.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

2013 03 21             1:45 p.m.

 
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