Video: 2022 Earth Hour Press Conference
Greenrock, the Corporation of Hamilton, and the West End Development Corporation [WEDCO] recently held a press conference highlighting Earth Hour, which will be held on Saturday, March 26.
Greenrock
Chairman Eugene Dean said, “Every year, at 8:30 pm on the last Saturday of March, millions of supporters in over 190 countries and territories unite, taking action on and raising awareness of the issues facing our one home.
“But Earth Hour is more than just an hour for Earth – it’s a movement for our own futures and the benefit of our people.
“Earth Hour is more than a symbol of solidarity – it’s a catalyst for positive environmental impact, driving social opinion, and major legislative changes by harnessing the power of people and inspiring collective action.
“This is why our partnerships are important and why the Earth Hour Council was formed. Each organisation has its own network of staff, businesses, residents, vendors, etc, and, through those networks, we can spread the message and more importantly, use our positions of leadership to set positive examples for those within our reach.
“Actions speak louder than words, which is why each of the council members shut off lights in their respective areas during Earth Hour. As Earth Hour Council Members, our role is to talk the talk and walk it, too. WEDCO ensures that we go dark in Dockyard, the Corporation of Hamilton does “lights out” in the City of Hamilton, and the Corporation of St. Georges shuts off lights in and around the town.
“We know that there are challenges environmentally and we know that our way of living is unsustainable. With that in mind, our question to everyone is: do we turn a blind eye to these realities, or do we work together to bring positive change?
“At Greenrock, we seek to change mindsets and would love to see us all working together. We are confident that solutions to our current challenges are available and, in some cases, they are waiting patiently for us to engage. Our Earth Hour is open source. It was designed to connect us globally and, today, we welcome everyone to take part to help amplify our mission and impact.”
The Corporation of Hamilton
Hamilton Mayor Charles Gosling said, “The City of Hamilton is pleased to once again support Greenrock in recognizing Earth Hour in order to further awareness about the urgent need for energy conservation globally.
“As such, we will shut off all lights in and outside of the City Hall building on Saturday, March 26th between 8:30pm and 9:30pm as well as the Works Depot which will have all lights turned off for the hour.
“Over the past few years, the City has made a more concerted effort to be greener. We’ve changed the bulbs in City offices and properties as well as the streetlights to LED, transitioned many of our City vehicles to electric, and moved to a paperless system for our Board agendas and meetings.
“Additionally, last year, the City oversaw the installation of 78 solar panels at its Front Street pump station which will save the City more than $30,000 a year on electricity costs.
“The City already has a significant solar panel installation at its Works Depot and has plans for further installations on some of its other buildings including Pier 6. This year the City commenced design work for the installation of solar panels on Bull’s Head Car Park.
“We encourage all City taxpayers, be it restaurants, retailers, businesses, or residents to all do their part to reduce their consumption during Earth Hour, by switching off non-essential lighting.
“We are all responsible for the state of our planet and it is up to each and every one of us to do our part to make a difference.”
West End Development Corporation
A WEDCO spokesperson said, “The West End Development Corporation is pleased to participate once again in the 2022 Earth Hour event. As the west end’s hub of economic development and growth, we recognize the importance of participating in these events every year to help raise awareness in our community for the importance of being environmentally conscious.
“WEDCO has always supported green initiatives and we take pride in our sustainability programs. Over the last several years, WEDCO has successfully installed solar panels which lowers our electricity costs and reduces our usage of fossil fuel energy, expanded the capacity of our reverse osmosis plant, maintained, and upgraded our wastewater treatment facility, we’ve established a recycling program, installed charging stations for electric cars, and installed LED lighting throughout the Royal Naval Dockyard.
“On March 26th, WEDCO will be planning a lights-out event in the heart of Dockyard from 8:30 to 9:30 pm. We will encourage all our tenants and businesses in the area to participate as well by turning off all unnecessary lights and electrical fixtures. To all the locals and visitors planning to be in the area on the night of, note that restaurants and businesses will still be open for their normal working hours.
“We encourage you to proceed with your visit to Dockyard and show your support for this initiative. Thank you to Greenrock for the invitation to participate once again and for your continued hard work.”
Read More About
Category: All, Environment, News, Videos
