On Saturday, March 26th at 8:30 p.m. local time, the Township of Esquimalt will join Earth Hour celebrations across British Columbia and around the world by switching off lights to show it is possible to take action on climate change.
Last year, Earth Hour was a huge success reaching over 1.3 billion people in more than 128 countries. Canada had over 10 million participants which included 87 communities in British Columbia. During the hour-long event, Esquimalt’s electricity consumption decreased by 1.3%.
The Township’s participation in Earth Hour will take place over the entire weekend and will include:
- powering off all staff computers, monitors, battery backups and printers
- switching off all lights in the Municipal Hall – except emergency and library lighting
- shutting off the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system in the Municipal Hall
- turning off the exterior projector for the Municipal Hall’s outside mural
- switching off the interior and exterior lights at the Public Works Yard and Parks Nursery
- switching off selected lights in the foyer area of the Esquimalt Recreation Centre
Esquimalt residents and businesses are encouraged to take part by signing up for Earth Hour at www.EarthHourCanada.org and turning off lights on March 26th at 8:30 p.m. for one hour. Individuals can promote Earth Hour to family, friends and colleagues by putting on a no-lights event. This could include preparing and eating a no-cook meal, going for a walk/stargazing, or playing a board game by candlelight. Earth Hour is an opportunity to look around and consider what can be done in your home or workplace year-round to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Earth Hour is an international event organized by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) that brings attention to the issue of global warming by asking individuals, businesses and governments to turn off their lights for an hour. It began in 2007 in Sydney, Australia and in 2008 became a global sustainability movement.
For more information, please contact:
Marlene Lagoa, Sustainability Coordinator
Tel: 250-414-7114