Businesses Sign On For World Wildlife Fund’s Earth Hour
WWF’s Earth Hour 2010 is gaining momentum as businesses around the country embrace the movement and spread the word about what will be the world’s largest call to action on climate change. Wells Fargo, Ikea, The Coca-Cola Company, HSBC and electric utility provider ComEd, have all signed on as Earth Hour 2010 corporate participants and will help spread the message that by working together, individuals can make a positive impact toward a sustainable future.
Earth Hour, which takes place Saturday, March 27 at 8:30 p.m. local time, is an event in which millions of Americans will turn out their lights for one hour in support of action on climate changeand making the switch to a cleaner, safer and more secure world. This year marks the third year of the event, which attracted an estimated 80 million participants in the U.S. last year, and nearly a billion people around the world, as lights dimmed on such global icons as the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Sydney’s Opera House, the Great Pyramids of Gaza and New York’s Empire State Building.
Following the success of Earth Hour 2008 and 2009, Wells Fargo returns as a corporate partner and is encouraging its customers to participate in Earth Hour through messages on its ATMs, expected to reach more than eight million people. The company is also turning off its own non-essential lights where practical. Additionally, Wells Fargo Green Teams (grassroots groups of Wells Fargo team members who help drive environmental stewardship) are encouraging co-workers to participate in the event.
“The significance of Earth Hour is that it demonstrates that by both working together and also taking personal responsibility for turning off lights, unplugging electrical items and making our homes more energy efficient, each of us can make a positive difference,” said Mary Wenzel, director of Environmental Affairs at Wells Fargo. “Please join us.”
Following the success of Earth Hour 2009, ComEd returns as a presenting sponsor for Earth Hour Illinois 2010. ComEd’s support of Earth Hour is part of the company’s portfolio environmental programs.
“ComEd is committed to environmental stewardship, and we are proud to once again partner with World Wildlife Fund to bring Earth Hour to Illinois,” said Anne Pramaggiore, president and chief operating officer of ComEd. “We hope Earth Hour will help our customers and people around the world learn more about the need for energy conservation as a cost-effective way to slow climate change and benefit our environment.”
Other Businesses in the U.S. that have signed on to participate in Earth Hour include:
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U.S. landmarks such as Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, St. Louis’ Gateway Arch, Sea World in Orlando, the strip in Las Vegas, New York’s Empire State Building, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Washington D.C.’s National Cathedral, California’s Santa Monica Pier and the Space Needle in Seattle are among the hundreds of sites that will turn off non-essential lighting for the hour, in what is expected to be the largest-ever call to action on climate change.
Outside the U.S., WWF said it expects thousands of cities in more than 105 countries to take part in Earth Hour 2010, including Athens, Bangkok, Cape Town, Delhi, Dubai, Geneva, Hong Kong, Istanbul, Manila, Moscow, Rome, Seoul, Singapore, Sydney, Tel Aviv and Toronto.
Note to Editors:
Footage and photographs of Earth Hour 09 being observed are available upon request.
Photos and footage: https://www.myearthhour.org/news/for-media
Logos: https://www.myearthhour.org/tools
Earth Hour 2010 Video: https://www.myearthhour.org/earth-hour-video
Follow Earth Hour on twitter: www.Twitter.com/EarthHourUS
ABOUT EARTH HOUR:
Since its inception three years ago, Earth Hour has captured the world’s imagination, becoming a global phenomenon. Last year, for Earth Hour 2009 nearly one billion people in 4,100 cities in 87 countries on seven continents turned out. In the U.S. alone, 80 million Americans and 318 cities officially voted for action with their light switch. These people and municipalities were joined by iconic landmarks including: the Las Vegas Strip, the Chrysler and Empire State Buildings in New York City, the Space Needle in Seattle, Church of Latter-Day Saints Temple in Salt Lake City, the Gateway Arch in St. Louis and the National Cathedral in Washington DC. International landmarks that turned off their lights included the Great Pyramids of Giza, Parthenon in Athens, St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, Big Ben and Houses of Parliament in London, Paris’ Elysee Palace and Eiffel Tower, Beijing’s Birds Nest and Water Cube, Symphony of Lights in Hong Kong, Sydney’s Opera House and Christ de Redeemer status in Rio de Janeiro.
ABOUT WORLD WILDLIFE FUND:
WWF is the world’s largest conservation organization, working in 100 countries for nearly 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, stop the degradation of the environment and combat climate change. Visit www.worldwildlife.org to learn more.
Updated 03-18-2010
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