Media release
Wellington, Monday 9 March 2009

Blackout at the Beehive for Earth Hour

Parliament buildings and Te Papa among key landmarks switching off

The Beehive and Te Papa are some of the key landmarks across the country planning to turn off their non-essential lighting for WWF’s Earth Hour™.

Wellington Mayor Kerry Prendergast says Wellington City Council is keen to make Earth Hour 2009 a success in the Capital.

“This is a great opportunity to show the country – and the world – that lots of people making lots of little changes can have a big impact. We’ve had a great response so far from Wellingtonians and we’re encouraging everyone to get onboard.

“Wellington businesses are getting involved too – Logan Brown will offer candlelit dinners, the Karori Sanctuary’s doing Earth Hour night tours and clothing retailer Laurie Foon is promoting Earth Hour around town,” says Mayor Prendergast.

The Sky Tower, the Auckland Museum and Town Hall, the Christchurch and Dunedin Cathedrals and the Mission Bay Fountain are among hundreds of other prominent landmarks planning to power down for this iconic global event, which now involves 44 centres across the country.

McDonalds and Burger Wisconsin restaurants, Starbucks coffee shops and a host of other commercial, educational and local government properties are also expected to go black at 8.30pm on Saturday 28 March.

WWF’s Dairne Poole, New Zealand’s Earth Hour Project Directorsays, “The Sky Tower and the Beehive are our two most prominent buildings and to have them both involved in the campaign is just more fantastic news really.”

WWF is asking people to register their commitment to Earth Hour at www.earthhour.org/newzealand.

WWF’s national sponsors for Earth Hour 2009 in New Zealand are TV3, More FM, Trade Me and Toyota Prius.

www.earthhour.org
About Earth Hour
Earth Hour is a global WWF climate change initiative. Individuals, businesses, governments and communities are invited to turn out their lights for one hour on Saturday March 28, 2009 at 8:30pm to show their support for action on climate change. The event began in Sydney in 2007, when 2 million people switched off their lights. In 2008, more than 50 million people around the globe participated. In 2009, Earth Hour aims to reach out to 1 billion people in 1,000 cities.

About WWF
WWF is one of the world’s largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, 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.

NZ centres participating in 2009
1. Northland Regional Council
2. Chatham Islands ,
3. Auckland Regional Council,
4. Auckland City Council,
5. Rodney District Council,
6. Waitakere City Council,
7. North Shore City Council,
8. Papakura District Council,
9. Franklin District Council,
10. Manukau City Council,
11. Hamilton City Council,
12. Environment Waikato,
13. Waikato District Council,
14. South Waikato District Council,
15. Waipa District Council,
16. Thames-Coromandel District Council,
17. Matamata-Piako District Council,
18. Waitomo District Council,
19. Rotorua District Council,
20. Tauranga City Council,
21. Taupo District Council,
22. Masterton District Council,
23. Gisborne District Council,
24. Hastings District Council,
25. New Plymouth
26. Palmerston North City Council,
27. Porirua City Council
28. Upper Hutt City Council,
29. Greater Wellington Regional Council,
30. Wellington City Council,
31. Kapiti District Council,
32. Marlborough District Council
33. Tasman District Council,
34. Nelson District Council,
35. Selwyn District Council,
36. Hurunui District Council,
37. Stratford District Council,
38. Christchurch City Council and
39. Environment Canterbury.
40. Geraldine Woodbury township
41. Central Otago District
42. Wanaka
43. Queenstown Lakes District Council
44. Dunedin City Council.

ENDS

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