This Earth Hour, Momentum Is On Our Side
WASHINGTON, D.C., March 7, 2016 /3BL Media/ – As the countdown to World Wildlife Fund’s Earth Hour begins, individuals, businesses, cities and landmarks from around the globe prepare to switch off their lights for one hour to draw attention to the urgent need to address climate change.
Major landmarks across the US, including The Empire State Building, the Space Needle and the Santa Monica Pier will also join together in this iconic and powerful movement.
This Earth Hour, Saturday, March 19 at 8:30pm local time, the global lights-out display is more than just a symbolic gesture to protect our planet. Last December, 196 nations came together to deliver an historic climate agreement in Paris. With momentum on our side, it’s time to leverage the promise of Paris and turn climate ambition into action.
"Earth Hour arrives at a pivotal moment. The threat has never been clearer but the momentum has never been so clearly on our side. Last year was the warmest year on record and the first year the entire world agreed to act together to turn back the climate threat,” said Lou Leonard, vice president, climate and energy, World Wildlife Fund. “But we can’t stop here. As the lights go out from New Zealand to New York, it’s time to do the work needed to make the Paris Agreement come alive. From the Clean Power Plan in America to a national cap-and-trade law in China, to a global system to tackle international aviation pollution, 2016 is the year where we can prove that a zero-carbon future is within our grasp. It's up to all of us to do our part."
In coordination with the 10th annual Earth Hour, local cites, across the country are doing more than turning off the lights. WWF’s Earth Hour City Challenge will honor resilient cities transitioning toward 100 percent renewable energy and addressing local climate threats. Selected from 15 US entrants, Burlington, VT, Evanston, IL and Boulder, CO are the 2016 Earth Hour City Challenge finalists. These three cities will go on to compete for the title of US Earth Hour City Capital, to be announced later this year, and have a chance to be crowned as the global Earth Hour Capital among 124 participating cities across 21 countries.
From resilient cities to inspired individuals, Earth Hour is a moment to use our power to combat the worst effects of climate change and create a future where people and nature thrive.
About Earth Hour:
Earth Hour is WWF's global environmental movement. Born in Sydney in 2007, Earth Hour has grown to become the world's largest grassroots movement for the environment, inspiring individuals, communities, businesses and organizations in over 170 countries and territories to take tangible climate action. Celebrating the tenth edition of its signature lights out event in March 2016, the Earth Hour movement continues to harness the power of its millions of supporters to shine a light on climate action and the power of the individual to change climate change.
About World Wildlife Fund
WWF is one of the world’s leading conservation organizations, working in 100 countries for over half a century. With the support of almost 5 million members worldwide, WWF is dedicated to delivering science-based solutions to preserve the diversity and abundance of life on Earth, halt the degradation of the environment and combat climate change. Visit www.worldwildlife.org to learn more and follow our news conversations on Twitter @WWFnews.
