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.
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SOURCE World Wildlife Fund
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Related links:
http://www.earthhourus.org
CONTACT:
Jennifer Hutchison of Jasculca-Terman and
Assoc., +1-312-573-5468, cell, +1-630-258-8752, for Earth Hour
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