Earth Hour 2012 - One Month To Go

Media Release:
1 March 2012

EARTH HOUR 2012
ONE MONTH TO GO

From Times Square to the Sydney Opera House, Brunei to Lithuania, the tallest building on the planet to an Inuit igloo, the world will once again celebrate the largest voluntary action for the environment as the lights switch off for Earth Hour, on 31 March.

Earth Hour has grown from a one-city initiative in 2007, to a 5,251 city strong global movement, last year reaching 1.8 billion people in 135 countries across all seven continents.

“In its sixth year, with hundreds of millions of people taking part in Earth Hour, we want to go beyond the hour to encourage positive action for the environment,” said Earth Hour Co-Founder and Executive Director, Andy Ridley.

“We have created a new element, ‘I Will If You Will’ to offer the incentive to share the dream amongst us all. The power of social media enables us to unite the global community in the endeavour to protect the planet,” he said.

The “I Will If You Will” digital platform created in partnership with Leo Burnett, is the result of a collaboration with YouTube, therefore bringing together the world’s biggest social video platform with the world’s largest action for the environment.

Earth Hour’s new “I Will If You Will” campaign uses the YouTube video platform www.youtube.com/earthhour to encourage people to share a personal dare with the world, by asking “What are you willing to do to save the planet?”

“I Will If You Will gives every individual the opportunity to inspire their friends, colleagues and neighbours to take sustainability actions not just on the hour but beyond the hour. The challenges we are seeing from all walks of life are truly inspiring,” said Ridley.

Earth Hour Kids’ ambassador Pocoyo has doubled his “I Will If You Will” challenge after reaching its target of 10,000 within days. Pocoyo will now plant 20,000 trees if 20,000 people play his recycling game on EarthHour.org.

The President of Fiji, 70 year old Epeli Nailatikau, announced he will walk 30 kilometres to raise awareness of climate issues if businesses, non-government organisations and government departments in Fiji take clear-cut actions that will benefit our environment.

A diverse range of supporters including Stephen Fry and Yoko Ono have already engaged with Earth Hour and “I Will If You Will” on Twitter.

The concept of “I Will If You Will” centres around providing a social contract for two parties – connecting one person, business or organisation to a promise and their friends, family, customers or members to a challenge.

The YouTube platform hosts a global library of “I Will If You Will” challenges, and encourages people to share their “dare” publicly through Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and email. Friends can be invited to participate and accept each challenge using these popular social networks.

Earth Hour 2012 will take place at 8.30pm – 9.30pm on Saturday 31 March

**Interviews are available with Andy Ridley, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Earth Hour**

Visit the Earth Hour YouTube platform www.youtube.com/earthhour
Watch the 2012 Earth Hour video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FovYv8vf5_E

Images: http://www.flickr.com/photos/earthhour_global/sets/
Facebook: facebook.com/earthhour
Twitter: twitter.com/earthhour
YouTube: youtube.com/earthhour
Flickr: flickr.com/earthhour_global
Tumblr: earthhour.tumblr.com
Google +: gplus.to/earthhour

ENDS

About Earth Hour

Earth Hour is a global environmental initiative in partnership with WWF and Leo Burnett. Individuals, businesses, governments and communities are invited to turn out their lights for one hour on Saturday March 31, 2012 at 8:30 PM to show their support for environmentally sustainable action. In 2012, Earth Hour’s I Will If You Will concept invites individuals and organisations to challenge others to an ongoing environmental commitment beyond the hour. Earth Hour began in one city in 2007 and by 2011 reached over 1.8 billion people in 135 countries across every continent, receiving reports as ‘the World’s largest campaign for the planet’.
About WWF
WWF is one of the world’s largest and most respected independent conservation organisations, with almost five million supporters and a global network active in more than 100 countries. WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the earth’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world’s biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.

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