East Renfrewshire Council celebrates WWF’s Earth Hour

On Saturday 19 March 2016, at 8.30pm East Renfrewshire Council and ‘Think Green’ will join millions across the world to celebrate WWF’s Earth Hour and switch off their lights for one hour to show they care about the future of our brilliant planet

By joining the global celebration, East Renfrewshire Council and ‘Think Green’  will take part in a symbolic moment, not designed to have impact through an hour of energy saving, but to help put a spotlight on the issues facing the planet and to remind us that, together, we have the power to make change happen.

The future of our planet is at risk, particularly from the effects of climate change. Many of the world’s most threatened species like tigers and orang-utans live in areas that will be severely affected by climate change. For many, WWF’s Earth Hour is a chance to show they care about our brilliant planet and is the first step to helping to protect its future.

To celebrate the global event, we will be:

• Switching off non-essential lights at 8.30pm, Saturday 19 March:
  • The Clarkston Tree in front of the Library, Clarkston.
  • The floodlight at the Cenotaph in Mearns Cross.

Encouraging residents of East Renfrewshire to do the same via our Social Media channels.

• Request an Earth Hour ‘Selfie’ from residents to be sent to our Facebook and Twitter Channels.

Organising a ‘Switch-Off for Earth Hour’ campaign across our council estate and schools.  For the week running up to earth hour and beyond, we have developed a campaign to remind everyone to switch off lights, appliances, chargers, screens and computers, when leaving their home or work.

• Distributing Earth Hour and campaign posters and materials to all council buildings and request that they place them in their staff rooms, class rooms and foyers.

Jennifer Clements, spokesperson for WWF-UK, said: “We’re thrilled that East Renfrewshire Council and ‘Think Green’ will be taking part in WWF’s Earth Hour this year and hope that they’ll inspire many others to get involved. By taking one simple step to switch off, WWF’s Earth Hour is a chance for all of us to come together and send out a global message about protecting our planet.”

Over the last decade, WWF’s Earth Hour’s unique display of darkness has become a global phenomenon with hundreds of millions of individuals coming together each year. In 2015, a record-breaking 172 countries and some of world’s most famous buildings including Big Ben, Hong Kong’s skyline and the Sydney Harbour Bridge joined the global celebration. In the UK alone, over 10 million people took part, along with over 4,800 schools, 200 landmarks and thousands of businesses and organisations

Everyone can join the celebration for WWF’s Earth Hour on Saturday 19 March 2016. For more information and to sign up please visit wwf.org.uk/earthhour