Madison Recognizes Earth Hour

On Saturday, March 23 at 8:30 p.m., Madison will join hundreds of millions of people around the globe in turning off their non-essential lights for one hour during Earth Hour - an innovative campaign that raises awareness on sustainability and the environmental challenges we all face such as climate change. Earth Hour is about raising consciousness, capturing people's imaginations and empowering them to make a difference. The City of Sydney was the first to switch off in 2007. In 2008, Earth Hour went global and 50 million people around the world took part. Last year, Earth Hour reached over 1.8 billion people in over 7,000 cities and towns in 152 countries and territories across all seven continents. With businesses, governments and communities all working together, this single act is uniting people across the world by provoking discussion and a commitment to long-term actions that will benefit the planet. "Madison has participated in Earth Hour in the past as Monona Terrace has gone dark," said Madison Mayor Paul Soglin. "While I understand that the City is unable to shut off street lights or traffic lights, I encourage residents to take a close look at surroundings and determine if an extra effort is possible for a one hour period on March 23rd." More information is available at http://www.worldwildlife.org/earthhour for participation guides, tools, and creative assets.