Scotland helps to smash global 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, it was revealed today (Monday 8 March).
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. [2]
Countries and regions involved for the first time include 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.”
Editor's notes
[1] WWF's Earth Hour – 8.30pm, Saturday 27 March 2010 For more information about WWF’s Earth Hour http://www.wwfscotland.org.uk/earthhour
WWF's Earth Hour lights-out initiative began in Sydney, Australia in 2007 as an awareness-raising exercise. By 2009 3,000 cities and towns in more than 80 countries got involved with lights going out in 66 national capitals and 9 of the 10 most populated metropolises on the planet. Over 800 of the world’s most iconic landmarks also went dark last year including the Sydney Opera House, the Eiffel Tower and the Pyramids of Giza. Here in Scotland, 19 local authorities, 200 schools and over one hundred businesses and organisations joined in by switching their lights off for one hour in a graphic demonstration of support for determined international action on climate change. Some of Scotland’s most iconic landmarks went dark including Edinburgh Castle, the Forth Bridge, Eilean Donan Castle, Glasgow's Clyde Arc (Squinty Bridge) and the Scottish Parliament.
Footage of what happened last year
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FclcMfzjwug
[2] A record 21 Scottish Local Authorities have signed up so far:
Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, Dumfries and Galloway, East Dunbartonshire, East Lothian, Edinburgh, East Ayrshire, Fife, Glasgow , Highland, Midlothian, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire , Perth and Kinross, Renfrewshire, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, Stirling, West Dunbartonshire
Last week, meteorologist Heather Reid officially launched the Earth Hour countdown in Scotland by placing giant light bulbs on a ‘weather map’ of Scotland to highlight the towns, cities, regions, landmarks and organisations signed up so far to go dark.
***PRINT QUALITY PHOTOS OF THE COUNTDOWN LAUNCH ARE AVAILABLE HERE:
tinyurl.com/yg4a34n
[3] WWF Scotland is part of Stop Climate Chaos Scotland, an alliance of development, environment and civil society groups aiming for tougher action to reduce emissionshttp://stopclimatechaosscotland.org
