Nearly 4,000 cities in 88 Countries participated in Earth Hour showing their support for mother nature by turning off the lights. The aim of the event was not just to create a symbolic act of a drop in electricity usage for 60 minutes but to create a global movement of a billion people. Although difficult to measure the total number of participants we can see the global effects of the event by looking at the local level. In Toronto, electricity usage dropped 15% during the event. In absolute numbers that’s a 450 MW drop in power or the equivalent of 750,000 60 watt light bulbs. There was more corporate involvement this year which helped eclipse last year’s 262 MW drop. The event was even live-blogged from inside the Toronto Hydro Control Room.
WWF-US President and CEO Carter Roberts, optimistic about the global impact of Earth Hour said,
“The true power of Earth Hour can be seen in the tremendous opportunity for individuals, communities, businesses, and governments around the world to unite for a common purpose, against a common threat which affects us all.” He continued by saying, “as the world witnessed Saturday night, the simple action of turning off lights can inspire people around the world to take action, and to make a serious long-term commitment to living more sustainable lives. On behalf of WWF, I want to thank all participants for making Earth Hour a truly memorable hour for the entire planet.”
We Canadians can be proud of our participation in this year’s Earth Hour and can share the moments of the event with each other.
