Breaking News
Thursday, February 26, 2009World Wildlife Fund Calls on Students to Vote for Change Again
as Part of Earth Hour's Call to Action on the Climate Crisis
Major Universities and Educational Community Partners Announced
to Give Youth a Voice in the Global Climate Change Discussion
WASHINGTON-February 26, 2009-World Wildlife Fund (WWF) today unveiled new educational resources as part of its strategy to educate and engage young people about global climate change via the upcoming Earth Hour event. Earth Hour is WWF's global initiative in which tens of millions of people around the world will show support for action on climate change by turning off their lights for one hour on March 28, 2009 at 8:30 p.m. local time.
With one month until the event, WWF has already secured more than a dozen leading colleges and universities to serve as flagship campuses for Earth Hour. The institutions will participate in a variety of ways, from incorporating climate change into classroom discussions, to sending letters to elected officials via the main www.EarthHourUS.org website, to turning off the lights on their school's buildings. The list of campuses participating in Earth Hour 2009 now includes Columbia University, Howard University, Michigan State University, Northwestern University, University of Miami and University of Nevada Las Vegas.
"Today's generation of young people cares passionately about the future well-being of our planet and so we are very pleased that so many campuses are signing up to take part in Earth Hour 2009," ," said Leslie Aun, WWF's vice president of media relations and managing director of Earth Hour US. "By turning out their lights for one hour, students will send a message to the world that they want action on climate change. Through the simple flick of a light switch, Earth Hour provides a way for hundreds of thousands of students, parents and educators to join with millions in casting their vote for the planet."
A number of leading educational organizations have signed on in recent weeks to support Earth Hour 2009. Groups include American Federation of Teachers, Association of Science-Technology Centers, Green Schools Alliance, National Association of Secondary School Principals, National Council of 4-H, National Education Association, National Science Teachers Association, and Youth Service America. The groups have agreed to promote Earth Hour among their members, comprised of more than 12 million educators and students across the US.
WWF has also launched a second Earth Hour website just for young people, www.EarthHourKids.org, featuring age-appropriate information about climate change and the Earth Hour event with free educational materials, games and social media applications. The website also provides tips for how parents can educate their children about environmental issues, with additional resources for educators about how to incorporate the issue into their lesson plans via grade-specific teaching guides. The teaching guides, created for students in kindergarten through twelfth grade, are available as free downloads from the website.
During Earth Hour 2009, lights are slated to go out on some of the most recognized landmarks on the planet including the Las Vegas Strip, St. Louis Gateway Arch, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, the Sears Tower in Chicago, the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Sydney Opera House in Australia. The list of participating flagship cities in the U.S. includes Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Nashville, New York, and San Francisco, while more than 500 cities in over 75 countries have officially signed up to participate as well.
WWF officials stressed the importance of celebrating Earth Hour in a safe and secure environment by asking people to turn off non-essential lights during that hour. All lights impacting public safety will remain on, including street lights, and lights in public spaces, hospitals or for emergency services will remain on for the duration of the event. More information about Earth Hour and ways to get involved can be found at www.EarthHourUS.org
National partners for WWF's Earth Hour 2009 are Esurance, Cox Enterprises, The Coca-Cola Company, Wells Fargo and Hewlett-Packard.
Note to Editors: B-roll and Earth Hour still images can be found at www.earthhour.org/mediacentre.
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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