March, 26 2010, 03:02pm EDT
All 50 States and the Nation's Capital Join the World in Turning Out for WWF's Earth Hour
World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
announced today that Earth Hour will be officially observed in all 50
states, uniting the country in the single largest call to action on
climate change in history.
WASHINGTON
World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
announced today that Earth Hour will be officially observed in all 50
states, uniting the country in the single largest call to action on
climate change in history.
Non-essential lighting in more than
3,500 cities in 125 countries around the world will be turned off
Saturday, March 27 at 8:30 pm local time. Of that total, 36 countries
will be participating for the first time, 58 nations' capital's,
including Washington, D.C., all of the G20 nations, and seven of the
most populated cities in the world are turning off their lights for
Earth Hour.
In the United States, governors from both sides of the
aisle, mayors, state legislators, government officials, celebrities,
business, religious and community leaders, university presidents,
teachers and individuals are joining together to demonstrate their
commitment to fighting climate change and creating solutions for the
future of the planet. Collectively, they will turn off the lights at
governors' residences and state capitol buildings, iconic landmarks,
businesses, schools and homes, for one hour, Earth Hour.
"Earth
Hour sends a clear message that Americans care about their country and
the planet. By turning the lights off on pollution and climate change,
we will make the switch to a cleaner, safer and more secure world," said
Earth Hour US Managing Director Leslie Aun.
The lights at the
governors' residences and/or state capitol buildings will go dark in 33
states; Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware,
Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland,
Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey,
New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon,
Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West
Virginia and Wisconsin.
More than 45 national and local
monuments and landmarks across the U.S. will be turning off their
lights during Earth Hour including:
- Mount Rushmore in South
Dakota - The Las Vegas Strip in Nevada
- Niagara Falls in
New York - National Cathedral in Washington D.C.
- Smithsonian
Castle in Washington D.C. - Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco
- Space
Needle in Seattle - Empire State Building
- Chrysler
Building - Queen Mary Hotel in Los Angeles
- The Pylons at
L.A. International Airport - Santa Monica Pier
- St. Louis
Gateway Arch - The United Nations Building in New York
- Soldiers
and Sailors Monument in Indianapolis - Duluth Aerial Bridge in
Minnesota - Anchorage 5th Avenue Mall in Alaska
- Montezuma
Castle in Arizona - The Wrangler in Cheyenne, Wyoming
- Milwaukee
Public Market in Wisconsin - Chase Tower in Dallas
- The
National Aquarium in Baltimore - Sears/Willis Tower in Chicago
More
than 150 cities, towns and counties will dim the lights at buildings in
their municipalities including; Ann Arbor, Atlanta, Austin,
Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Honolulu,
Houston, Huntsville, Las Vegas, Miami, Minneapolis, Orlando,
Philadelphia, San Francisco, Sioux Falls, Spokane, St. Louis, and Winston-Salem.
In each of these cities individuals, businesses and organizations are
participating in activities to engage, enlighten and spread the Earth
Hour message.
Some examples of how Earth Hour is being celebrated
in select cities include:
New York City Estee Lauder
employees are asked to turn off lights and computers today, before the
start of the weekend. The Grand Hyatt's (near Grand Central) analog
clock will countdown to Earth Hour starting 24 hours in advance. The
Great White Way is also on board for the great blackout, with all
Broadway theatres participating by turning off roof and marquee lights
for Earth Hour.
Los Angeles Earth Hour dining will be
in full swing at restaurants in the area including Euphoria Loves Rawvolution,
Lago's and Ocean & Vine's.
Additionally the outside, decorative lighting will be turned off at
downtown LA's AEG Live including the Staples Center.
Chicago In
Chicago, where ComEd is a presenting sponsor, nearly 200 downtown
buildings will dim non-essential lighting for one hour, including Willis
Tower, Merchandise Mart and the Wrigley Building. The City of Chicago
will be turning off the exterior lights at City Hall, the Cultural
Center and the Chicago Police Department Headquarters. Additionally,
dozens of Chicagoland restaurants and hotels are serving dinners by
candlelight including: Cyrano's Bistrot, Bistro Bordeaux, Harry Caray's,
Osteria Via Stato, Red Kiva, Nacional 27, Duke's Alehouse, and Kitchen,
C-View Restaurant, Swissotel Chicago and the Conrad Chicago Hotel.
Baltimore The
University of Maryland has brought March Madness fever off the court,
joining as an official participating school for Earth Hour. The Inner
Harbor will be noticeably darker with the National Aquarium, USS
Constellation/Historic Ships in Baltimore, and Domino Sugar and Rusty
Scupper signs dimming their lights in observance. City Hall will also go
dark.
St. Louis Whole Foods Galleria will be turning
off the lights in the cafe for dinners by candlelight with a performance
by local musician Monica Case. The famous St. Louis Gateway Arch will
also go dark for Earth Hour.
Washington, DC A multitude
of hotels including the Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons, Fairmont and Westin
Grand DC will host candlelight dinners with dining specials in
celebration of Earth Hour.
Phoenix A couple will hold
their wedding ceremony completely by candlelight and torches at the
Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort this Saturday evening in celebration
of Earth Hour.
Dallas Dallas is leading the charge for
climate awareness in the Lone Star State, with more than 30 buildings in
North Texas turning off their lights including the Bank of America
Building, Fountain Place, Chase Tower, Reunion Tower and Ferris Plaza.
Denver The
Mile High City's famous INVESCO Field is going dark for Earth Hour. The
Governor's mansion and state capitol building will also go dark in
observation of this global call for climate change.
San
Francisco The Ferry Building on Embarcadero will go dark and
plans to offer "pedal-powered" music during an Earth Hour celebration,
with energy powered by humans riding bikes. They will join the Golden
Gate and Bay Bridges, Coit Tower and City Hall in dimming for Earth
Hour.
Boston As Earth Hour takes over Bean Town,
buildings throughout the city of Boston, including City Hall, will turn
out in support of this year's event. The city's education community
also has jumped full-force behind Earth Hour with several local
universities, such as Tufts and Brandeis, going dark for one hour.
Las
Vegas Visitors to Las Vegas won't be able to keep quiet as they
watch the lights of the world famous Las Vegas Strip turn off for Earth
Hour. Visitors and residents alike will get a chance to see such iconic
landmarks as the "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign and Luxor's
shining beam turn out for this extraordinary event.
More than 45 national
organizations have pledged their support for Earth Hour and are
encouraging their members and local chapters across the country to get
involved. The National Education Association, American Federation of
Teachers, NAACP, LULAC, Youth Service America, 4-H, National Park
Service's WebRangers, Jane Goodall's Roots and Shoots, Earth Day
Network, National Honor Society, YMCA for the USA, Building Owners and
Managers Association International, Unitarian Universalist Association,
and the United Church of Christ join the diverse group of supporters for
2010.
Earth Hour will be celebrated on many well-known college
campuses.
- University of Virginia-
Non-essential lights will be turned off across campus during Earth Hour.
Local businesses are being encouraged to join with students and faculty
in turning out. - Michigan State University - Events are
taking place across campus to recognize Earth Hour including a steel
drum circle performance, poetry slam, relaxation lessons and a jazz
performance. - Universityof Phoenix - the online university
is encouraging Earth Hour participation across all campuses nationwide
and will be turning off the lights in Central Administration buildings
in Phoenix. - Universityof Florida - The lights around
Century Tower and lights on fountains and on outdoor art installations
will be turned off from Friday evening through Monday morning in
recognition of Earth Hour. - Wake Forest- Students created
an Earth
Hour video to encourage participation on campus and will host a
lights-out event on campus which will feature a light bulb exchange,
free pizza and environmental games. - GeorgeWashington
University - The University will host "blackout" and
"glow-in-the-dark" parties in residence halls and will feature a Battle
of the Bands in the dark.
Sports figures, actors and models
are supporting Earth Hour 2010. New
England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and his wife
supermodel Gisele
Bundchen, as well as two-time NBA MVP and Phoenix Suns guard Steve Nash have recorded public service
announcements (PSAs) to help raise awareness of the significance of
climate change action. Edward
Norton has signed on for the second year in a row to show his
support for Earth Hour with a new video encouraging people to join the
movement with him.
Facebook(r)
and Twitter continue to be the biggest drivers of awareness and action
about Earth Hour. Facebook will continue to help raise awareness for
Earth Hour with a lights out profile picture and status message on key
Pages including Facebook, Celebs, Sports, Education, Facebook for Good,
among others. In addition, Earth Hour videos and PSAs posted on
YouTube.com have been viewed more than 500,000 times.
During
the largest global call to action on climate change in history, the
U.S. will be joined by more than 3,500 cities, towns and villages in 125
countries including; Athens, Bangkok, Barcelona, Beijing, Berlin,
Buenos Aires, Cairo, Cape Town, Copenhagen, Dubai, Hong Kong, Istanbul,
Kuala Lumpur, London, Manila, Mexico City, Moscow, Mumbai, Nairobi,
Paris, Rio de Janeiro, Rome, Singapore, Toronto, Stockholm, Hiroshima
and Zimbabwe.
Countries participating for the
first time include; Nepal, Kosovo, Mongolia, Madagascar, Mauritius,
Czech Republic, Cambodia, Northern Mariana Islands, Tanzania, Oman,
Mozambique, Brunei, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Faro Islands, Laos, Slovenia,
Lithuania, Bangladesh, Channel Islands, Cook Islands, Malta, Nigeria,
Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Paraguay, Bonaire, Morocco, Liechtenstein,
Uruguay, Zimbabwe, Samoa, Sri Lanka and Macau.
The
Great Pyramids of Giza, one the world's greatest symbol of the power of
collective action, heads up a list of more than 1,200 landmarks around
the planet switching off their lights for Earth Hour, including:
- Italy's Trevi Fountain in Rome and Leaning Tower of Pisa
- Big
Ben, the London Eye and Houses of Parliament in London - Edinburgh
Castle in Scotland - India Gate and Red Fort in Delhi
- Victoria
Falls in Zimbabwe - Bosphorous Bridge in Istanbul
- Hohensalzburg
Castle in Salzburg - Independence Angel in Mexico City
- Eiffel
Tower in Paris - Brandenburg Gate in Berlin
- Hiroshima
Peace Memorial - London Eye, Table Mountain
- Christ the
Redeemer statue - Sydney Opera House
- Burj Khalifa - The
world's largest building
WWF hopes that this Saturday's
event is just one step in an ongoing conversation and continual effort
toward creating a cleaner, safer and more secure future.
WWF
officials stress the importance of safety during Earth Hour, asking that
all lighting related to public safety remain on.
World Wildlife Fund is the largest multinational conservation organization in the world, works in 100 countries and is supported by 1.2 million members in the United States and close to 5 million globally. WWF's unique way of working combines global reach with a foundation in science, involves action at every level from local to global, and ensures the delivery of innovative solutions that meet the needs of both people and nature.
LATEST NEWS
National Team Member Becomes at Least 265th Palestinian Footballer Killed by Israel in Gaza
Muhannad al-Lili's killing by Israeli airstrike came as the world mourned the death of Portugal and Liverpool star Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva in a car crash in Spain.
Jul 04, 2025
Muhannad Fadl al-Lili, captain of the Al-Maghazi Services Club and a member of Palestine's national football team, died Thursday from injuries suffered during an Israeli airstrike on his family home in the central Gaza Strip earlier this week, making him the latest of hundreds of Palestinian athletes killed since the start of Israel's genocidal onslaught.
Al-Maghazi Services Club announced al-Lili's death in a Facebook tribute offering condolences to "his family, relatives, friends, and colleagues" and asking "Allah to shower him with his mercy."
The Palestine Football Association (PFA) said that "on Monday, a drone fired a missile at Muhannad's room on the third floor of his house, which led to severe bleeding in the skull."
"During the war of extermination against our people, Muhannad tried to travel outside Gaza to catch up with his wife, who left the strip for Norway on a work mission before the outbreak of the war," the association added. "But he failed to do so, and was deprived of seeing his eldest son, who was born outside the Gaza Strip."
According to the PFA, al-Lili is at least the 265th Palestinian footballer and 585th athlete to be killed by Israeli forces since they launched their assault and siege on Gaza following the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel. Sports journalist Leyla Hamed says 439 Palestinian footballers have been killed by Israel.
Overall, Israel's war—which is the subject of an International Court of Justice (ICJ) genocide case—has left more than 206,000 Palestinians dead, maimed, or missing, and around 2 million more forcibly displaced, starved, or sickened, according to Gaza officials.
The Palestine Chronicle contrasted the worldwide press coverage of the car crash deaths of Portuguese footballer Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva with the media's relative silence following al-Lili's killing.
"Jota's death was a tragedy that touched millions," the outlet wrote. "Yet the death of Muhannad al-Lili... was met with near-total silence from global sports media."
Last week, a group of legal experts including two United Nations special rapporteurs appealed to the Fédération Internationale de Football Association, the world football governing body, demanding that its Governance Audit and Compliance Committee take action against the Israel Football Association for violating FIFA rules by playing matches on occupied Palestinian territory.
In July 2024, the ICJ found that Israel's then-57-year occupation of Palestine—including Gaza—is an illegal form of apartheid that should be ended as soon as possible.
During their invasion and occupation of Gaza, Israeli forces have also used sporting facilities including Yarmouk Stadium for the detention of Palestinian men, women, and children—many of whom have reported torture and other abuse at the hands of their captors.
Keep ReadingShow Less
'Highly Inspiring' Court Ruling Affirms Nations' Legal Duty to Combat Climate Emergency
"While the United States and some other major polluters have chosen to ignore climate science, the rest of the international community is advancing protections," said one observer.
Jul 04, 2025
In a landmark advisory opinion published Thursday, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights—of which the United States, the world's second-biggest carbon polluter, is not a member—affirmed the right to a stable climate and underscored nations' duty to act to protect it and address the worsening planetary emergency.
"States must refrain from any conduct that reverses, slows down, or truncates the outcome of measures necessary to protect human rights in the face of the impacts of climate change," a summary of the 234-page ruling states. "Any rollback of climate or environmental policies that affect human rights must be exceptional, duly justified based on objective criteria, and comply with standards of necessity and proportionality."
"The court also held that... states must take all necessary measures to reduce the risks arising, on the one hand, from the degradation of the global climate system and, on the other, from exposure and vulnerability to the effects of such degradation," the summary adds.
"States must refrain from any conduct that reverses, slows down, or truncates the outcome of measures necessary to protect human rights in the face of the impacts of climate change."
The case was brought before the Costa-Rica based IACtHR by Chile and Colombia, both of which "face the daily challenge of dealing with the consequences of the climate emergency, including the proliferation of droughts, floods, landslides, and fires, among others."
"These phenomena highlight the need to respond urgently and based on the principles of equity, justice, cooperation, and sustainability, with a human rights-based approach," the court asserted.
IACtHR President Judge Nancy Hernández López said following the ruling that "states must not only refrain from causing significant environmental damage but have the positive obligation to take measures to guarantee the protection, restoration, and regeneration of ecosystems."
"Causing massive and irreversible environmental harm...alters the conditions for a healthy life on Earth to such an extent that it creates consequences of existential proportions," she added. "Therefore, it demands universal and effective legal responses."
The advisory opinion builds on two landmark decisions last year. In April 2024, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that the Swiss government violated senior citizens' human rights by refusing to abide by scientists' warnings to rapidly phase out fossil fuel production.
The following month, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea found in an advisory opinion that greenhouse gas emissions are marine pollution under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and that signatories to the accord "have the specific obligation to adopt laws and regulations to prevent, reduce, and control" them.
The IACtHR advisory opinion is expected to boost climate and human rights lawsuits throughout the Americas, and to impact talks ahead of November's United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP30, in Belém, Brazil.
Climate defenders around the world hailed Thursday's advisory opinion, with United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk calling it "a landmark step forward for the region—and beyond."
"As the impact of climate change becomes ever more visible across the world, the court is clear: People have a right to a stable climate and a healthy environment," Türk added. "States have a bedrock obligation under international law not to take steps that cause irreversible climate and environmental damage, and they have a duty to act urgently to take the necessary measures to protect the lives and rights of everyone—both those alive now and the interests of future generations."
Amnesty International head of strategic litigation Mandi Mudarikwa said, "Today, the Inter-American Court affirmed and clarified the obligations of states to respect, ensure, prevent, and cooperate in order to realize human rights in the context of the climate crisis."
"Crucially, the court recognized the autonomous right to a healthy climate for both individuals and communities, linked to the right to a healthy environment," Mudarikwa added. "The court also underscored the obligation of states to protect cross-border climate-displaced persons, including through the issuance of humanitarian visas and protection from deportation."
Delta Merner, lead scientist at the Science Hub for Climate Litigation at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said in a statement that "this opinion sets an important precedent affirming that governments have a legal duty to regulate corporate conduct that drives climate harm."
"Though the United States is not a party to the treaty governing the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, this opinion should be a clarion call for transnational fossil fuel companies that have deceived the public for decades about the risks of their products," Merner added. "The era of accountability is here."
Markus Gehring, a fellow and director of studies in law at Hughes Hall at the University of Cambridge in England, called the advisory opinion "highly inspiring" and "seminal."
Drew Caputo, vice president of litigation for lands, wildlife, and oceans at Earthjustice, said that "the Inter-American Court's ruling makes clear that climate change is an overriding threat to human rights in the world."
"Governments must act to cut carbon emissions drastically," Caputo stressed. "While the United States and some other major polluters have chosen to ignore climate science, the rest of the international community is advancing protections for all from the realities of climate harm."
Climate litigation is increasing globally in the wake of the 2015 Paris climate agreement. In the Americas, Indigenous peoples, children, and green groups are among those who have been seeking climate justice via litigation.
However, in the United States, instead of acknowledging the climate emergency, President Donald Trump has declared an "energy emergency" while pursuing a "drill, baby, drill" policy of fossil fuel extraction and expansion.
Keep ReadingShow Less
Trump Admin Quietly Approves Massive Crude Oil Expansion Project
"This thinly analyzed decision threatens the lifeblood of the American Southwest," said one environmental attorney.
Jul 04, 2025
The Trump administration has quietly fast-tracked a massive oil expansion project that environmentalists and Democratic lawmakers warned could have a destructive impact on local communities and the climate.
As reported recently by the Oil and Gas Journal, the plan "involves expanding the Wildcat Loadout Facility, a key transfer point for moving Uinta basin crude oil to rail lines that transport it to refineries along the Gulf Coast."
The goal of the plan is to transfer an additional 70,000 barrels of oil per day from the Wildcat Loadout Facility, which is located in Utah, down to the Gulf Coast refineries via a route that runs along the Colorado River. Controversially, the Trump administration is also plowing ahead with the project by invoking emergency powers to address energy shortages despite the fact that the United States for the last couple of years has been producing record levels of domestic oil.
Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Colo.) issued a joint statement condemning the Trump administration's push to approve the project while rushing through environmental impact reviews.
"The Bureau of Land Management's decision to fast-track the Wildcat Loadout expansion—a project that would transport an additional 70,000 barrels of crude oil on train tracks along the Colorado River—using emergency procedures is profoundly flawed," the Colorado Democrats said. "These procedures give the agency just 14 days to complete an environmental review—with no opportunity for public input or administrative appeal—despite the project's clear risks to Colorado. There is no credible energy emergency to justify bypassing public involvement and environmental safeguards. The United States is currently producing more oil and gas than any country in the world."
On Thursday, the Bureau of Land Management announced the completion of its accelerated environmental review of the project, drawing condemnation from climate advocates.
Wendy Park, a senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, described the administration's rush to approve the project as "pure hubris," especially given its "refusal to hear community concerns about oil spill risks." She added that "this fast-tracked review breezed past vital protections for clean air, public safety and endangered species."
Landon Newell, staff attorney for the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, accused the Trump administration of manufacturing an energy emergency to justify plans that could have a dire impact on local habitats.
"This thinly analyzed decision threatens the lifeblood of the American Southwest by authorizing the transport of more than 1 billion gallons annually of additional oil on railcars traveling alongside the Colorado River," he said. "Any derailment and oil spill would have a devastating impact on the Colorado River and the communities and ecosystems that rely upon it."
Keep ReadingShow Less
Most Popular