Red Deerians are encouraged to follow the City’s lead in helping reduce unnecessary power consumption during Earth Hour 2011 on March 26, from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Once again, the City will shut off all non-essential facility lighting, including that at City Hall.

“We encourage residents and businesses to turn off non-essential lights and power sources,” said Bailey Doepker, environmental program specialist. “Everything from switching off your lights to shutting down your computer helps reduce electricity consumption.”

Earth Hour started in Sydney, Australia in 2007 when 2.2 million individuals turned off their lights for one hour to raise awareness of climate change.

In 2008 the message grew into a global movement, with Red Deer citizens joining 50 million people switching off their lights.

In 2011 the support grew with 128 countries and territories and more than 4,600 cities across the world showing their support. Organizers say participating in Earth Hour demonstrates a commitment to reducing emissions and proves that individual efforts, when taken together, add up to make a positive difference for the environment.

Earth Hour is organized by the World Wildlife Fund and the theme this year is ‘Go beyond the hour’ encouraging participants to think about what they can change in their daily lives to reduce energy consumption and make a difference.

“It’s about taking small steps to reduce our carbon footprint and initiating positive environmental change. It’s about a collective commitment to our community and our future, and Red Deer citizens have definitely shown they are committed to making Red Deer green,” said Mayor Morris Flewwelling.

“Last year there were probably thousands of citizens who flipped their switches to support action on climate change,” said Ligong Gan, Electric Light & Power Manager.

“We hope to see a much greater level of participation this year. By acting together, a small amount of electricity reduction at each household can make a much larger collective impact.”

Earth Hour 2011 will occur on March 26 from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m.

-Weber