Earth Hour – 8:00 pm Saturday, March 29, 2008

March 8, 2008

How much does an hour weigh?

Last year, Sydney, Australia, proved that an hour could be 25,000 tonnes. That's how much carbon dioxide the residents of Sydney kept out of the Earth's atmosphere by turning off their lights for just 60 minutes, in a country heavily reliant on coal.

Now, the Rotary Club of Belleville has issued a challenge - to commit to one hour of darkness in the City of Belleville.

At 8 p.m. on Saturday, March 29, 2008, what began in Australia goes global. From Manila to Copenhagen, Tel Aviv to San Francisco, communities around the world will unite for one hour to reduce their ecological footprint.

Created to take a stand against the greatest threat our planet has ever faced, Earth Hour uses the simple action of turning off the lights for one hour to deliver a powerful message about the need for action on global warming.

Turning the lights off for Earth Hour is a great first step, but if you really want to see a difference, then make Earth Hour part of your everyday life.

Simple things like turning off appliances while not in use and switching your light globes to energy efficient bulbs will all help us reach our goal of reducing our annual emissions by 5%. Even something as simple as turning out lights when you’re not in a room and switching to cleaner sources of electricity like “green power”, make a big difference.
 

At Home

You don’t have to live in total darkness every day to make a difference. Just follow these five quick and easy tips.

• Switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs to save money and reduce emissions. Lighting accounts for around 5% of household greenhouse gas emissions, and compact fluros use 75% less energy than an equivalent incandescent bulb. Although the bulbs cost more up-front, you will actually save money through the energy saved and extended life of the bulb.
• Turn appliances off while not in use. Unplug any appliances like mobile phone chargers, TVs, microwaves, MP3 players, which are not being used and are on standby. In Australia, appliances on standby consume up to 10% of your electricity bill.
• Turn off anything that doesn’t need to be on. A good rule is to turn off anything not being used. When you leave a room or leave the house, turn off your lights or appliances like the TV or computer.
• Switch to green power. This is one of the best ways you can make a difference. Contact your electricity provider today and switch to green power, a cleaner, more renewable form of energy that does not contribute to global warming. If all Australians switched to green power today, Australia’s total greenhouse pollution would be cut by 30% in one year. That’s the equivalent of more than 40 million cars!
• Use less hot water. This is not only a good water saving tip, it saves electricity too. Spend one minute less in the shower.
   

At Work

As well as the very simple things you can do in the office, like printing double-sided and using recycled paper, there are many other ways to help your workplace reduce its carbon footprint.

• Get off standby. Speak to your office manager about turning off any equipment at work that is not being used, including computer screens, photocopiers and printers, particularly when you leave at night.
• Turn off lights at the end of the working day. Before you leave your place of work remember to turn off any lights in your workspace and your computer if you use one at work. Remember to unplug your mobile phone or laptop charger when it’s not in use. Speak to your office manager about installing motion-sensor lighting after 5pm when most people have gone home.
• Find out what’s happening in your workplace. Ask about your company’s emissions reduction policies and find out what’s already happening. Look for ways to reduce energy use in your workplace and encourage improvements. If employers know their employees are keen to make their workplaces environmentally friendly, they’ll be even more inclined to take action.
• Encourage your organization to have measurable emissions reduction targets. Many Australian businesses are committing to emissions targets and have plans to be carbon neutral by a certain date. Switching to green power, reducing and offsetting energy use and travel, and incorporating this into all areas of the business are critical to this process. Does your company have a plan?

Resource Links

www.earthhour.org

www.powerwise.ca

www.ieso.ca/imoweb/siteShared/energy_tips.asp?sid=md

www.energy.gov.on.ca/index.cfm?fuseaction=conservation.tips

www.thestar.com/specialsections/earthhour/article/295953

www.torontohydro.com/electricsystem/powerwise/energy_efficiency/energy_tips/index.cfm

www.veridian.on.ca/connections_residential_powerwise_start.asp