Chicago Officially Launches World Wildlife Fund's 'Earth Hour' Campaign as
Flagship U.S. City
March 29 Event to Highlight Chicago's Commitment to Fighting Climate Change
CHICAGO, Feb. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- World Wildlife Fund (WWF) officials
joined Mayor Richard M. Daley and Chicago business leaders to officially
launch Chicago as the flagship U.S. city for Earth Hour 2008, a global event
in which cities will voluntarily and safely turn out their lights to
demonstrate concern about climate change.
At a Navy Pier ceremony, Mayor Daley, WWF Chief Scientist Eric Dinerstein,
ComEd Executive Vice President Anne Pramaggiore, Leo Burnett Worldwide CEO Tom
Bernardin and other civic and business leaders gathered to show the city's
support for Earth Hour, which will take place Saturday, March 29 at 8 p.m.
(local time) in more than 20 cities around the world.
During Earth Hour, businesses and individuals will turn off their lights
in a dramatic, highly symbolic gesture to demonstrate that by working
together, people all around the world can make a difference in the fight
against climate change. In addition to Chicago, participating cities include
Bangkok, Copenhagen, Melbourne, Manila, Tel Aviv and Toronto.
"An important part of Chicago's efforts to be the most
environmentally-friendly city in the nation is to help our residents
understand the impact climate change has on our city," said Mayor Richard M.
Daley. "Programs like Earth Hour 2008 reinforce our commitment to
environmentally-friendly practices that will improve the quality of life for
residents in Chicago and people around the world."
"Chicago has proven it is a leader in environmental action, and the city's
participation as the flagship U.S. city will play a critical role in the
global success of Earth Hour 2008 and in building public awareness about the
risks our world faces due to climate change," said WWF U.S. President and CEO
Carter Roberts. "When the buildings in Chicago begin to darken, it will send a
powerful message to the world that the residents of this great city stand
united in seeking solutions to the threat of climate change."
Dozens of organizations in and around Chicago have already pledged to
participate in Earth Hour 2008 and spread the word to draw additional
participants. Supporters to date include Broadway in Chicago, the Building
Owners and Managers Association of Chicago (BOMA), the Chicagoland Chamber of
Commerce, Chicago Public Schools, the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau,
Chicago Loop Alliance, Chicago Federation of Labor, Greater North Michigan
Avenue Association, Metropolitan Mayor's Caucus, Metropolitan Pier and
Exposition Authority, DePaul University, The Greater North Michigan Avenue
Association, Illinois Hotel and Lodging Association, United States EPA and
many others.
To make Earth Hour a success, WWF and city of Chicago officials said
they'll be working over the coming weeks to turn off the lights at many of
Chicago's skyline buildings and famous landmarks, including Navy Pier's Ferris
Wheel, marquees at the Cadillac Palace Theatre and Ford Center for the
Performing Arts and businesses along the Magnificent Mile.
Earth Hour is a completely voluntary program, so the city won't go
completely dark. Planners for the event have been working closely with city
public safety officials and building engineers to ensure that while Chicago
makes a dramatic statement with its lights out, it will do so safely. Street
lights, lobby lights in public spaces, hospital lights and any lights deemed
to impact public safety or vital services will remain on. It is also strongly
recommended to use flashlights instead of candles during Earth Hour.
Earth Hour participants also will be encouraged to replace older light
bulbs with energy-efficient compact fluorescents and to pledge to take
additional actions that will reduce their energy consumption in the year
ahead.
"Global climate change impacts us all and ComEd is committed to arming our
customers with information and tools to help them become smarter energy
consumers," said Anne Pramaggiore, ComEd executive vice president of customer
operations, external and regulatory affairs. "ComEd is pleased to be an Earth
Hour partner. This initiative is just one more way that we can educate people
on steps they can take to change their energy usage habits."
According to Chicago officials, Earth Hour is one more step in Chicago's
ongoing commitment to be the greenest city in the nation. Chicago has already
demonstrated its dedication to fighting climate change through conserving and
protecting its natural resources, promoting environmentally friendly
lifestyles with residents, and leading by example by incorporating healthy
environmental practices into the everyday work of government. Some examples
include: promoting bike-friendly practices, adding hybrid buses to the city's
fleet and mass transit system, building green roofs, conserving water,
planting trees and building "green" libraries, public schools and police
stations.
Earth Hour 2008 comes just a year after the WWF's inaugural Earth Hour
took place in Sydney, Australia where residents, businesses and prominent
buildings across that city turned off their lights for 60 minutes in a joint
effort to reduce energy consumption and make a statement about protecting the
environment. More than two million people participated and major landmarks
including the Opera House and Sydney Harbour turned its lights out.
In Chicago, World Wildlife Fund is coordinating Earth Hour 2008 through
partnerships with the city of Chicago, ComEd, HP and Leo Burnett.
"Energy efficiency has always been important to our members -- it's the
right thing to do for the environment and it makes good business sense too,"
said Michael Cornicelli, executive vice president of the Building Owners and
Managers Association of Chicago (BOMA). "Building owners have long known that
small changes like turning off non-essential lighting when not in use can add
up to big energy savings. We applaud World Wildlife Fund and the city of
Chicago for finding a creative way to bring this important message to more
people, whether they be building managers, business owners, or city
residents."
"Leo Burnett started our company in this great city over 70 years ago, so
Earth Hour Chicago is particularly special to us," Tom Bernardin, CEO, Leo
Burnett Worldwide. "WWF U.S. and Mayor Daley and his team are true innovators
and we are proud to work alongside them."
To register for Earth Hour or for more ideas about how to celebrate Earth
Hour, visit http://www.earthhourus.org.
World Wildlife Fund
For more than 45 years, WWF has been protecting the future of nature. The
largest multinational conservation organization in the world, WWF works in
100 countries and is supported by 1.2 million members in the United States and
close to five 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.
Leo Burnett
Award winning global communications network, Leo Burnett, headquartered in
Chicago, is WWF's partner in the Earth Hour initiative. Burnett has created
the Global Earth Hour identity and a dedicated, holistic communications
campaign, which harnesses the power of multi-media including online,
interactive and outdoor.
Commonwealth Edison Company
Commonwealth Edison Company (ComEd) is a unit of Chicago-based Exelon
Corporation (NYSE: EXC), one of the nation's largest electric utilities with
approximately 5.4 million customers. ComEd provides service to approximately
3.8 million customers across Northern Illinois, or 70 percent of the state's
population.
SOURCE World Wildlife Fund
Jennifer Hutchison of Jasculca-Terman and Assoc., +1-312-573-5468, cell,
+1-630-258-8752, for Earth Hour
