This is an archive of news stories and research from the National Union of Public and General Employees. Please see our new site - https://nupge.ca - for the most current information.
NUPGE is endorsing Earth Hour for the third consecutive year. Last year, in Canada alone, more than 10 million people, in more than 288 cities, turned off their lights!
Ottawa (24 March 2010) - The act of turning off the lights for one hour (Saturday, March 27, at 8:30 p.m., local time), is an act of solidarity with millions of people across the world.
As communities sit in darkness a message will be sent that, as individual citizens in homes and cities are pledging to reduce their emissions, so too should national governments.
In Canada, the Harper government has shamefully refused to meet Canada's Kyoto commitments and has made no plan to achieve even its unambitious Copenhagen pledge.
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) hopes that Prime Minister Harper and Environment Minister Prentice take note of the commitment that Canadian communities make on Saturday night and begin to make serious plans to reduce Canada's greenhouse gas emissions.
A short history
Earth Hour started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia when 2.2 million homes and businesses turned their lights off for one hour to make their stand against climate change. Only a year later and Earth Hour had become a global sustainability movement with more than 50 million people across 35 countries participating. Global landmarks such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the CN Tower in Toronto, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and Rome’s Colosseum, all stood in darkness, as symbols of hope for a cause that grows more urgent by the hour.
In March 2009, hundreds of millions of people took part in the third Earth Hour. More than 4,000 cities in 88 countries officially switched off to pledge their support for the planet, making Earth Hour 2009 the world’s largest global climate change initiative.
Take action this year!
Earth Hour 2010 takes place on Saturday 27 March at 8:30 p.m. (local time) and is a global call to action to every individual, every business and every community throughout the world. It is a call to stand up, to take responsibility, to get involved and lead the way towards a sustainable future. Iconic buildings and landmarks from Europe to Asia to the Americas will stand in darkness. People across the world from all walks of life will turn off their lights and join together in celebration and contemplation of the one thing we all have in common – our planet. So sign up now and let’s make 2010 the biggest Earth Hour yet!
More information:
Download Poster for Earth Hour 2010
Earth Hour Global Site