Kiwi Icons go black for WWF’s Earth Hour

Media release 23 March 2009

The Mission Bay Fountain and the Eiffel Tower don’t have much in common, but both are among hundreds of global icons that will be plunged into darkness this Saturday at 8.30pm for WWF’s Earth Hour™ 2009.

Other high-profile Kiwi structures that won’t look the same this coming Saturday include: The Sky Tower, The Sentinel (the highest building on Auckland’s North Shore), Auckland Museum and Town Hall, The Beehive, Te Papa, Christchurch Cathedral and The Octagon.

These join the hundreds of commercial, community and private structures around the world to switch off their lights for one hour, as a symbolic message of support for action on climate change. Due to its position on the globe New Zealand will lead the world in marking the third Earth Hour event. Organisers WWF hope this year Earth Hour will involve 1 billion people, making it the world’s biggest mass participation event ever.

Forty-four cities, towns and regions in New Zealand are among over 1,800 international centres that have committed to switching out their lights for Earth Hour in this unique global referendum on sustainable living and taking action on climate change.

WWF’s Dairne Poole, New Zealand’s Earth Hour Project Director, says ”New Zealand will be leading the world with a significant clutch of our best-known structures powering down on the night, from Sky City in Auckland to the Octagon in Dunedin. But equally important will be the thousands of civic structures, business premises and people’s homes that darken at 8.30pm next Saturday, sending a powerful visual message to our governments that people want action on climate change”, says Ms Poole.

“We are asking all New Zealanders to switch off their lights and unnecessary appliances for Earth Hour and exercise this unique opportunity to vote Earth,” she says. “World leaders will meet later this year at the UN climate change summit, where they have the chance to make commitments to stop dangerous climate change. Please help us send them a powerful message to do so by voting Earth.”

WWF is asking people to register their commitment to Earth Hour at www.earthhour.org/newzealand. Help WWF send an even stronger message. Send your photos, videos and words on what Earth Hour was like for you to earthhour@wwf.org.nz to help create a huge Earth Hour icon that WWF will present to Government..

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

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