Canada is leading global Earth Hour effort

Many countries will participate in Earth Hour on March 29 at 8 pm, but Canada is leading the global effort on both the number of individuals who have signed up for the event and the number of cities participating. To date almost 30,000 Canadians have registered their participation for Earth Hour and more than 60 cities from coast to coast have also pledged to turn off the lights on March 29.

Even Australia, the country that pioneered the event last year, and the US with a population 10 times as large as Canada’s, are trailing in sign-ups. This is yet another signal that Canadians are serious about taking action on climate change. But the count is close. The US are behind by less than 1,000 people, so Canadians need to keep registering their participation for Earth Hour at www.earthhour.org to ensure Canada maintains its leadership status.

“We are delighted and overwhelmed by Canadians’ support for Earth Hour. This initiative began in Canada with only one city and now has grown into a national movement. Everyday I hear from individuals, businesses and organizations who are going above and beyond just turning out their lights. It’s truly inspiring,” said Tara Wood, Manager of Earth Hour, WWF- Canada.

Aside from turning their lights out, Canadians are hosting their own Earth Hour events, restaurants are creating Earth Hour menus and having candle-light dinners, numerous municipalities are hosting free public celebrations, and even businesses are donating their own advertising space to help WWF spread the word.