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Lights out for the environment
27 March 2008
At 8pm on 29 March, millions of people, including trade union members, will be switching off their lights for one hour to raise awareness of the importance of conserving energy.
Created as a symbolic event and designed to make a stand against climate change, Earth Hour 2008 is a global movement of which the ITF-affiliated National Automobile, Aerospace Transportation and General Workers' Union of Canada (CAW) is a part.
Last year 2.2 million people and 2,100 businesses in Sydney, Australia, participated in the Earth Hour event, reducing Sydney’s energy consumption by 10 per cent, the equivalent of taking 48,000 cars off the city’s streets for one hour.
This year the campaign is going global, embracing 14 different time zones. It will start in Christchurch, New Zealand, roll through Australia and finish some 20 hours later in San Francisco, US. Other cities participating include Copenhagen, Melbourne, Montreal, Phoenix, Toronto and Tel Aviv. On 18 March, over 9000 businesses and 136,000 individuals had indicated their intention to participate in Earth Hour to drive home the message about the need for action on global warming.
As the event will take place during CAW's council in Port Elgin, Canada, a special celebration is being planned for delegates on Saturday evening to commemorate the union’s involvement.
For factsheets about climate change, visit www.caw.ca; for more information about Earth Hour and tips on reducing your environmental impact, visit www.earthhour.org
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