THUNDER BAY – Supporters of Earth Hour will have their fingers on their light switches on Saturday night as the annual event kicks off again. At 8:30 pm on Saturday, March 26, lights will switch off around the world to recognize Earth Hour. Thunder Bay will once again participate in Earth Hour. This year, the City of Thunder Bay, Thunder Bay Hydro, EarthWise Thunder Bay and EcoSuperior are providing prizes for participants who host an Earth Hour event. To help residents prepare for Earth Hour and conserve beyond the special event, EarthWise is releasing a new home energy audit pamphlet to assist homeowners in reducing energy use.
“The City has supported Earth Hour since its inception,” says Mayor Keith Hobbs. “We take energy conservation seriously and are continually looking for efficiencies and new ways to reduce our use. This past year’s investments in methane capture at the Mapleward Road Solid Waste and Recycling Facility, cogeneration at the Atlantic Avenue Water Pollution Control Plant, the first off-the grid facility, and the development of a solar strategy for City rooftops are all examples of how we take Earth Hour beyond the hour. The EarthWise Annual Report, due out in May, also helps us to track our Corporate energy use on an annual basis.
Participating in Earth Hour 2011 is just one small way that residents can do their part to make Thunder Bay clean, green and beautiful.”
Earth Hour is a global event created to illustrate how each one of us, working together, can make a difference in climate change.
“The City is working to address climate change through the implementation of the EarthWise Community Environmental Action Plan (CEAP),” says Sarah Kerton, CEAP Coordinator. “The Plan’s main goals are the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the creation of a more sustainable community.”
The EarthWise Energy Working Group has developed the “Net Zero Guide for Homes,” a slick pamphlet that lets homeowners quickly and easily conduct a basic energy audit of their homes. The resource identifies areas where users can reduce their use, and therefore their greenhouse gas emissions and monthly bill. The pamphlet is available online at www.earthwisethunderbay.com, at EcoSuperior, Thunder Bay Hydro Customer Service Office, and various other locations around Thunder Bay, or by request at 625-2411.
To register your Earth Hour event and find out how you could win prizes, visit www.ecosuperior.org.