March 26, 2010
(Red Deer, Alberta) – Red Deerians are encouraged to follow The City’s lead in helping reduce unnecessary power consumption during Earth Hour 2010 on March 27 from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m.
This year, The City is a flagship city after showing a marked reduction in energy consumption during Earth Hour for the past two years. Once again, The City will shut off all non-essential facility lighting, including that at City Hall and the Collicutt Centre.
“We encourage residents and businesses to turn off unnecessary lights and power down too,” said Pam Vust, Environmental Initiatives Coordinator. “Everything from switching off your lights to shutting down your computer helps reduce electricity consumption.”
Earth Hour is organized by the World Wildlife Fund to raise awareness about climate change. Participating in Earth Hour demonstrates a commitment to reducing emissions and proves that individual efforts, when taken together, add up to make a positive difference for the environment.
“It’s about taking small steps to reduce our carbon footprint and initiating positive environmental change. It’s about a collective commitment to our community and our future, and Red Deer citizens have definitely shown they are committed to making Red Deer green,” said Mayor Morris Flewwelling.
Earth Hour started in Sydney, Australia in 2007 when 2.2 million electricity consumers switched off their lights for one hour. In 2008 the message grew into a global movement, with The City of Red Deer joining 50 million people switching off their lights.
In 2009, Red Deer citizens and businesses reduced electricity consumption by 2.5 per cent, saving 8,800 kWh of electricity. This is enough energy to run four cars for one year and is equivalent to reducing almost 16 tonnes of CO2.
“Last year there were probably thousands of citizens who flipped their switches to support action on climate change,” said Ligong Gan, Electric Light & Power Manager, “We hope to see a much greater level of participation this year. By acting together, a small amount of electricity reduction at each household can make a much larger collective impact.”
Earth Hour 2010 will occur on March 27 from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. For more information, visit the Earth Hour website.
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For more information, please contact:
Pam Vust
Environmental Initiatives Coordinator
The City of Red Deer
403-342-8750 403-342-8341
Ligong Gan
Manager, Electric Light & Power
The City of Red Deer
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