The City of Calgary wants you to turn off the lights, power down and unplug to mark Earth Hour on Saturday night.
The conservation effort is a global initiative that started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia, to raise awareness about how human energy consumption impacts the planet. This year, more than 170 countries and territories are participating.
“On one hand, we have the moral responsibility to live in harmony with nature. On the other, nature is vitally important to everyone’s daily lives,” said Marco Lambertini, director of World Wildlife Fund International, in a press release. “We depend on it for the food we eat, the air we breathe and the water we drink, and so much more. But we are pushing the planet to the limit and nature is severely under threat.
“Earth Hour 2019 is a powerful opportunity to start an unstoppable movement for nature, to help secure an international commitment to stop and reverse the loss of nature.”
Even though one hour doesn’t change much on the sustainability front, the campaign raises awareness about climate change and promotes getting away from screens, said Gerald Wheatley, Open Streets Calgary manager, on Saturday.
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“Turning off our lights, getting reconnected with family and an energy efficient outlook,” he said. “Some of that’s environmental, we’re all interested in energy efficiency, and some of that is cultural, because as the time zone moves, then we’re connected to the whole planet.”
Earth Hour runs from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
During the hour, the city will turn off “non-essential and feature lighting” at facilities including: Ad Valorem Place, the Calgary Municipal Complex (City Hall, Administration Building and Municipal Building), Calgary Public Building, Dartmouth Place, Manchester Centre Building E, Water Centre and all fire stations.
With pedal-powered family activities, Calgary Unplugged will take place on St. Patrick’s Island at 7 p.m.
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