Scotland helps to smash gobal records for WWF's Earth Hour
8 March 2010
World's biggest call to action on climate change sees global and national records broken
The world's biggest public call to action on climate change - WWF's Earth Hour - is set to be a global record breaker this year with more countries now signed up than ever before plus record support here in Scotland.
With less than three weeks to go until the big switch off on Saturday 27 March at 8.30pm, 92 countries have confirmed they will take part, compared to a final participation figure of 88 countries last year.
Here in Scotland, records are also being smashed it was revealed today, with a record 21 local authorities now officially signed-up to switch off lights on key buildings and landmarks - two more than last year's total of 19. South Ayrshire and Aberdeen became the 20th and 21st local authorities to sign-up respectively.
Countries and regions involved for the first time include the world’s newest country Kosovo, the remote island nation of Madagascar, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, Mongolia, Cambodia, Czech Republic, Paraguay, Ecuador and the US Commonwealth of the Northern Marina Islands in the Pacific Ocean.
UK landmarks pledging to switch off their lights include Piccadilly Circus and the London Eye, which will be dimming its lights for Earth Hour. Other famous buildings pledging to plunge into darkness for an hour include the Royal Albert Hall, Manchester’s Trafford Centre, Stormont, Inverness Castle, Wales Millennium Stadium and Portsmouth’s Spinnaker Tower.
Dr Richard Dixon, Director of WWF Scotland said:
“It is fantastic to see the momentum of WWF’s Earth Hour continue to build with records being broken every week. This year's participants will be joining hundreds of millions of people round the world in sending a strong call to action on climate to world leaders.
“In Scotland we are breaking records too with 21 of the 32 local authorities so far committed to switching off on the 27 March, joining over 1,100 cities and towns across the world.
“Whether you are joining your community in a town square to watch the city lights go dark or hosting a lights out party in your own home, you will be taking part in a historic occasion. Turn off your lights, celebrate the planet, enjoy the moment and think about what action you will take from then on to secure the future of our living planet.”
