Dear friends,
On Saturday, March 28th, people around the world will turn off their lights from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. to celebrate Earth Hour 2009. Sponsored by the World Wide Fund for Nature, Earth Hour is intended to make a global statement about climate change and to demonstrate a commitment to finding solutions.
The lights-out initiative, which began in Sydney, Australia, in 2007 as a one-city environmental campaign, has evolved into a global sustainability movement. In 2008, an estimated 50 million people on all seven continents turned their lights out in a united call for action on climate change. So far, over 1,760 cities, towns, and municipalities in 80 countries have signed up to participate in Earth Hour 2009.
Andy Ridley, Earth Hour executive director, hopes Earth Hour 2009 will provide world leaders at the U.N. Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, this December with a global mandate for action on climate change. “We are asking one billion people to take part in what is essentially the first global vote for action on climate change by turning off their lights for one hour and casting a vote for Earth,” he said.
We invite all members of VIVAT, co-workers, families and friends to join us in celebrating Earth Hour 2009. You can sign up to participate in Earth Hour at www.voteearth2009.org or simply join millions of people throughout the world by turning off your lights on March 28 from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. local time.
Felix Jones, svd & Zelia Cordeiro, ssps
NGO in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations
And Associated with the Department of Public Information of the United Nations
211 East, 43rd St., Suite 706, New York, NY 10017-4707, USA
Tel: (001) 646 487 0003 * Fax: (001) 646 487 0004
E-mail: viny@vivatinternational.org * Website: www.vivatinternational.org
