It was the night the lights went in Georgia. As Atlanta gave Earth Hour a big Southern welcome, the city's skyline slowly dimmed, turning previous-shinning beacons into symbols for a greater cause.
Leading up to the hour, Atlanta dignitaries and WWF officials began the evening with an event featuring an eco-friendly "green carpet" and WWF's mascot, Pandy. As guests arrived, the local media captured the excitement as the crowd anxiously waited for the big moment to arrive.
Local NBC affiliate WXIA-TV broadcast live from WWF's official viewing party. The anchors spoke of the significance of the event and introduced the folks who made the event a reality, despite overcoming numerous challenges. After a moving speech by co-chair Mark Pettit, he introduced World Wildlife Fund US President and CEO Carter Roberts who spoke about the genesis of the event and of all the exciting things happening around the world.
One of the most dramatic highlights of the evening was when Mayor Shirley Franklin and World Wildlife Fund US President and CEO Mr. Roberts brought gasps of amazement from more than 300 people gathering on the 21st floor of the Wachovia Builiding in the heart of Midtown Atlanta as the two of them joined together to pull down a giant light switch, symbolically turning off the lights, and turning on a new sense of possibilities for the city. Earth Hour had officially begun.
Throughout the city, landmarks, famous structures and simple gatherings of friends celebrated Earth Hour in their own unique way on a night that made history.
For the next hour, the Atlanta residents gazed at the skyline and watched the city shrouded in darkness continue to breath, as vibrant as ever. Over 400 buildings in Atlanta participated, including the Bank of America Plaza (the tallest building in the Southeast), the World of Coke, CNN Center, and the Georgia State Capitol Building.
As the hour came to a close, Atlanta's skyline slowly re-emerged, revealing a proud city that showed to the world that by coming together for a common cause, it can shine brighter than any light.
Earth Hour Live
Tonight, millions of people are joining together, and turning off their lights to help make a difference and raise awareness about the issue of global warming. See how the world is taking part, with these live news feeds and images from participating cities. Don't forget to share your Earth Hour moments too. Remember - turn off your lights!
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1 comment:
I'm curious as to how much energy we saved here in Atlanta. When will information be available to the public on the impact Earth Hour had on energy conservation and reduction of green house gas emissions in the city of Atlanta, in other cities in the US, and across the globe?
I look forward to what Atlanta and Georgia Tech will be doing between now and the next Earth Hour to conserve energy, conserve water, reduce emissions, and work collaboratively to green this city.
Sincerely,
Michael T. Aaron
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Graduate Research Assistant
Georgia Institute of Technology
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