Wondering How to Participate in Earth Hour? Here Are Some Simple Suggestions

On Saturday, March 28, 2009 between 8:30pm and 9:30pm, Earth Hour will be celebrated around the world. The objective of Earth Hour is to increase public awareness of the need to decrease energy use and to take action against climate change. This can simply be done by turning off unnecessary lights, without compromising safety and security. Earth Hour participation is voluntary, fun and informative.

Everyone’s participation is important to making Earth Hour a success. Below are some simple suggestions for how residents, businesses and groups can participate:

For Residents:

• Register for Earth Hour at www.EarthHourCanada.org. Share your ideas about how you will be participating by e-mailing the Office of Sustainability at damians@haltonhills.ca. Enter into a draw to win valuable energy-efficiency prizes. Maximum of one prize per household, business or organization. The draw will be held at the April 6th 2009 Council meeting. Names will be drawn from the first 100 e-mail entries received by noon on Saturday March 28th, 2009.
• Turn off unnecessary lights and unplug electronic equipment.
• Change your traditional inefficient lightbulbs to efficient CFL lightbulbs.
• Turn down the thermostat.
• Avoid operating major appliances during Earth Hour.
• Enjoy a candlelit dinner with family and friends.
• Play board games.
• Read bedtime stories by flashlight.
• Organize community discussions on environmental issues.
• Take a walk through your neighbourhood. Take advantage of the dark skies and star gaze.
• Commit to energy conservation throughout the year by joining WWF-Canada’s The Good Life initiative. Joining is free, fun and easy. It can be done at: www.thegoodlife.wwf.ca. When joining, please remember to select the “Town of Halton Hills” from the ‘Groups’ menu. The ‘Groups’ menu will appear after the province is selected and an Ontario postal code is entered.

For Schools:

• Organize symbolic Earth Hour events on Friday March 27th because schools are closed on Saturday, March 28 2009. For more information, visit: www.EarthHourCanada.org. Some local schools plan to celebrate Earth Hour roughly between 10am and 11am on Friday March 27th.

For Businesses:

• Register for Earth Hour at www.EarthHourCanada.org. Share your ideas about how you will be participating by e-mailing the Office of Sustainability at damians@haltonhills.ca. Maximum of one prize per household, business or organization. The draw will be held at the April 6th 2009 Council meeting. Names will be drawn from the first 100 e-mail entries received by noon on Saturday March 28th, 2009.
• Turn off or dim any unnecessary lights (including outdoor signs) and major appliances, without compromising safety/security.
• Promote Earth Hour by displaying Earth Hour posters in store windows and on restaurant tables (e.g. menu inserts, table cards). Contact the Office of Sustainability at damians@haltonhills.ca for a copy of a free poster(s).
• Inform your staff and customers about Earth Hour. Encourage them to participate.
• Reduce energy use. Turn down your thermostat.
• Replace inefficient lightbulbs with efficient compact fluorescent (CFL) lightbulbs.
• Ahead of Earth Hour, advertise special pricing on energy conservation items such as CFLs, clotheslines, LED lights, energy meters and thermostats.
• Unplug all electrical equipment (e.g. computers) before leaving for the day.
• Consider purchasing green electricity all year.
• Post information on Earth Hour on your website.
• If you operate a restaurant:
  • Offer a special meal or a day’s special at a cost of $8.30 to recognize Earth Hour which begins at 8:30pm.
  • Offer a special meal composed of locally grown ingredients or a meal that does not require a lot of energy to prepare.
  • Offer candlelit dinner service and a special “Earth Hour Menu”.
• If your business cannot participate on Saturday March 28th, consider taking action on Friday March 27th.

So, don’t be afraid of the dark. Remember to turn off your lights and reduce energy use during Earth Hour on Saturday March 28th between 8:30pm and 9:30pm. Be creative, have fun and stay safe.

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