WORLD TURNS OUT FOR WWF’S EARTH HOUR
Saturday, March 28, 2009With a Flick of a Switch, Hundreds of Millions in the U.S. and
Around World Cast Vote in Support of Action on Climate Change
WASHINGTON – March 29, 2009 – In a bold and unprecedented symbolic global statement, hundreds of millions of people around the world paused Saturday night for one hour, Earth Hour, and with their light switch as their ballot, cast their vote for action in the first global election on climate change.
Earth Hour was marked on all seven continents, and in more than 3,900 cities in 88 countries, according to World Wildlife Fund, the world’s largest multinational conservation organization, and global organizer of Earth Hour.
As Earth Hour was celebrated as it cascaded through the world’s time zones, individuals, villages, towns, major cities, organizations and corporations, and the world’s most recognizable landmarks, all united in a truly global effort.
From candlelit dinners at home to the darkening of the world famous Las Vegas Strip, Americans from coast to coast participated in Earth Hour by turning off lights wherever they were, sending a clear message they care about the future of the planet, and stand with the rest of the world in seeking to find solutions to the escalating climate crisis.
“The true power of Earth Hour can be seen in the tremendous opportunity for individuals, communities, businesses, and governments around the world to unite for a common purpose, against a common threat which affects us all,” said WWF President and CEO Carter S. Roberts. “As the world witnessed Saturday night, the simple action of turning off lights can inspire people around the world to take action, and to make a serious long-term commitment to living more sustainable lives. On behalf of WWF, I want to thank all participants for making Earth Hour a truly memorable hour for the entire planet.”
Some of the nation’s most famous skylines darkened on Saturday night, including Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, New York, Salt Lake City, St. Louis, Tucson and Washington, D.C. Pennsylvania, California, Arkansas, New Mexico and Michigan are participating officially, statewide.
Earth Hour activities involved many of America’s most iconic landmarks and attractions, including a broad array of people, places and things, including:
- Golden Gate Bridge
- St. Louis Gateway Arch
- Church of Latter-Day Saints Temple in Salt Lake City
- Empire State Building
- Chrysler Building
- Broadway Theater Marquees
- U.N. Headquarters
- Las Vegas Strip
- National Cathedral in D.C.
- Space Needle in Seattle
- Santa Monica Pier & Ferris Wheel
- Thomas Edison’s Laboratory in West Orange, NJ
- Hundreds of buildings and landmarks across the country
Additionally, around the country people celebrated Earth Hour in their own unique ways. In Washington, D.C. families organized a candle-light walk to observe the city in the dark. In Nashville and Los Angeles crowds gathered to watch their Mayors flip the switch and kick off Earth Hour in their cities. While in Chicago families gathered around flashlights for game night.
The event on March 28th was just one step in an ongoing effort to fight climate change. After Earth Hour, WWF hopes that conversations will continue on climate change and that people will take initiatives to make small changes in their lives to be more carbon efficient.
National partners for WWF's Earth Hour 2009 are Esurance, Cox Enterprises, The Coca-Cola Company, Wells Fargo and Hewlett-Packard.
More information about Earth Hour and ways to get involved can be found at http://www.EarthHourUS.org/.
Note to Editors: B-roll and Earth Hour videos and images are available on a special FTP site:
Hostname: imgdropbox.interfacevideo.com
Username: ImageHighlights (not case sensitive)
password: mediaimages (all lowercase)
Or on the web, at:
http://imgdropbox.interfacevideo.com
Username ImageHighlights (not case sensitive)
Password mediaimages (all lowercase)
About World Wildlife Fund and Earth Hour
Earth Hour (www.EarthHourUS.org) is a global initiative of WWF in which millions of people around the world will cast a vote in favor of action on climate change by turning off their lights for one hour on March 28, 2009 at 8:30 pm local time. By voting with their light switches, Earth Hour participants will send a powerful, visual message to their leaders demanding immediate action on climate change. WWF is the world’s leading conservation organization, working in 100 countries for nearly half a century. With the support of almost 5 million members worldwide, WWF is dedicated to delivering science-based solutions to preserve the diversity and abundance of life on Earth, stop the degradation of the environment and combat climate change. Visit www.worldwildlife.org to learn more.
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