sustaiNYC

I tend to lean with Joel Makower on this Earth Hour event tonight, but if you’re into it, there’s plenty of participation here in NYC:

This Saturday, March 28, at 8:30 pm, iconic NYC landmarks including The Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, all of the Broadway Theater marquees, Time Warner Center, United Nations Headquarters, and others, are set to join Earth Hour 2009 by turning off non-essential lighting for one hour, symbolizing their commitment to climate change.  Earth Hour 2009 is a global initiative of World Wildlife Fund in which millions of people around the world will cast a vote in favor of action on climate change by turning off their lights for one hour this Saturday at 8:30 pm local time.   Individuals and organizations around New York join a global movement that has spread to 3,000 cities in over 80 countries.

Full press release after the jump.

NYC LANDMARKS, EMPIRE STATE BUILDING, CHRYSLER BUILDING, CITIGROUP CENTER, TIMES SQUARE BILLBOARDS, BROADWAY THEATERS AND EAST RIVER BRIDGES’ DECORATIVE NECKLACES TO TURN OUT LIGHTS FOR WWF’S EARTH HOUR

 

The Big Apple Joins Nearly 3,000 Cities Around the World, Including Paris, Las Vegas, London, Chicago, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Rome, Beijing, Nairobi and Moscow, in Historic Call to Action on Climate Change

 

New York, NY, March 25, 2009 – As momentum builds around the world for the first global vote for action on climate change, many of New York City’s most recognizable buildings and landmarks have committed to turn off their lights for World Wildlife Fund’s Earth Hour.  

 

Beginning at 8:30 p.m. on March 28^th, individuals and organizations around New York City will turn off non-essential lighting for one hour on some of the most iconic structures that make up the Manhattan skyline.  New Yorkers will join the global movement that has spread to nearly 3,000 cities in 82 countries. In the U.S., New York joins Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville,San Francisco and Washington, D.C.in dimming its skyline to cast a vote for action on the climate crisis.

 

“This will be a pivotal year in the future of our planet as we look to Congress, President Obama and global leaders to take immediate and decisive action on climate change,” said Carter Roberts, CEO of World Wildlife Fund. “Having New York City go dark for Earth Hour will send a powerful message to the world that the U.S. is ready to assume a leadership position in solving one of the most serious challenges facing our planet today. By turning out the lights, the people of New York City will be casting a vote in support of the future of the Earth.”

“The energy we use to power our city – from lights on our roads and bridges, to our televisions and home appliances, to the lights in our office buildings and homes – is responsible for roughly 80 percent of City greenhouse gas emissions and more than 40 percent of all locally generated air pollution,” said Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. “The City’s groundbreaking long-term sustainability program, PlaNYC, is a roadmap to reduce our emissions in New York City by 30 percent by 2030. New York’s participation in World Wildlife Fund’s Earth Hour is another example of New Yorkers and City government taking part in efforts to reduce our carbon footprint.”

During Earth Hour 2009, lights are slated to go out in some of New York City’s most renowned buildings and landmarks including:

 

·         Empire State Building

·         The Chrysler Building

·         Broadway theaters marquees

·         East River Bridges’ decorative necklace lighting including Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queensboro and Williamsburg Bridges

·         Reuters, NASDAQ and Coca-Cola signs in Times Square

·         City Hall

·         Manhattan Municipal Building

·         Brooklyn and Staten Island Borough Halls

·         United Nations Headquarters

·         Citigroup Center

·         New York Life

·         Hearst Tower

·         Time Warner Center

·         The New York Public Library

·         7 World Trade Center and the other Silverstein Properties buildings

·         The Helmsley Building and other Monday Properties buildings

·         Con Edison Clock Tower

·         Grand Hyatt New York

 

Joining these properties are top New York City organizations and institutions including B.R. Guest Restaurants, Columbia University, PACE University, CUNY, New York University, Brooklyn College, the Building Owners and Managers Association of New York, the U.S. Green Building Council New York, Fall Out Boy Pete Wentz’s Angels + Kings, and many more.

 

Around the world, icons committed to Earth Hour include:

·         The Las Vegas Strip

·         Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco

·         Sears Tower in Chicago

·         Eiffel Tower in Paris

·         Notre Dame in Paris

·         Sydney Opera House

·         Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro

·         Niagara Falls

·         Stockholm Castle

·         Burj Dubai

 

Oscar nominated actor and New York City resident Edward Norton is the official ambassador for Earth Hour 2009 with support from Nobel Prize Laurite Archbishop Desmond Tutu, actresses Janeane Garofalo and Jennette McCurdy, fashionistas Stacy London and Clinton Kelly, as well as musicians Linkin Park, Alanis Morissette, Coldplay, Jo Dee Messina, Big Kenny (Big & Rich), Gavin DeGraw, KT Tunstall, Mary Mary, Dierks Bently, Wynonna Judd, Vince Gill, Amy Grant, Lady Antebellum, SHeDAISY, Finger Eleven, Simple Plan, Justin Nozuka, The Veronicas and Rise Against.

WWF officials stressed the importance of safety during Earth Hour, asking that all lighting related to public safety remain on.

More information about Earth Hour and ways to get involved can be found at www.EarthHourUS.org/newyork and www.EarthHourUS.org

National partners for WWF’s Earth Hour 2009 are Esurance, Cox Enterprises, The Coca-Cola Company, Wells Fargo and Hewlett-Packard.

Note to Editors: B-roll and Earth Hour still images can be found at http://www.earthhourus.org/broll.php

Tags: , Earth Hour, Events