Earth Hour Inspires Local Conservation Initiatives

Cambridge, The City of Cambridge and The Region of Waterloo wish to remind you that Earth Hour, the symbolic event that raises awareness of climate change and the need for energy conservation, is happening this Saturday, March 31.

The two government partners have teamed up to share their approaches to Earth Hour which demonstrates their commitment to reducing their environmental footprint and encourages others in the community to get involved.

Join us on Saturday March 31st between 8:30 – 9:30pm by turning out the lights as we mark Earth Hour. 

“Earth hour is about the simple actions we can take on a day-to-day basis that cumulatively result in Green House Gas (GHG) reductions and energy conservation and that help lessen climate change,” said Ken Seiling, Waterloo Regional Chair.

Introduced by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) some five years ago, the Earth Hour event is not just about corporate leadership, but about the entire community, in fact the entire world, getting onboard at all levels.

“Cambridge has put in place things that will be symbolic to mark the hour such as dimming the lights at City Hall and a special website message,” says Cambridge Mayor Doug Craig.  “However, we have applied what we’ve learned over the years and also added some conservation procedures that will take place all year long.”

This year’s Earth Hour initiatives will focus on a number of facilities at the Region and City and will involve dimming non-essential lighting, using lighting control strategies such as timers, and adjusting the overall electrical usage.  Going forward, these actions will engage staff at all levels of the organization and encourage them to tweak their processes to positively impact operations. 

One initiative to ‘unplug’ will now be part of the regular weekend operations at the City of Cambridge.  “The significance of unplugging equipment is an important measure.  We know that appliances are big ‘phantom’ power users and taking a few minutes to unplug them as part of the regular weekend routine will go a long way to improving our impact on the environment,” notes Mayor Craig.

The City of Cambridge and the Region of Waterloo will also be incorporating a number of environmentally friendly approaches in their daily operations such as:

• Utilizing energy efficient lighting coupled with state of the art lighting control strategies and daylight harvesting measures
• Retrofitting traffic signals, street lighting, and parking lots with LED lamps rather than the tradition incandescent lights
• Constructing all new buildings to meet the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) standards
• Installing LED parking lot lighting at sites including regional Housing, Police, Library and Administrative facilities
• Equipping the Regional Housing units with new energy star appliances rather than the older units that require significantly more power
• Incorporating alterative energy options including solar

“We encourage everyone to participate in Earth Hour by turning off their lights and unplugging electronics at home during the event,” says Chair Seiling.

Start the conversation about conservation.
Tell us what you are doing for Earth Hour by visiting our Facebook pages:

Connect with us on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/thecityofcambridge
www.facebook.com/RegionWaterloo

Keep the conversation going on Twitter:
@Marcom_city
@regionwaterloo

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Contact:

Linda Fegan, Director - Corporate Communications and Marketing, City of Cambridge feganl@cambridge.ca, www.cambridge.ca/pressroom  519 740-4683 ext 4623, BlackBerry: 519 212-3409

Brian Bechtel, Specialist Corporate Energy, Region of Waterloo 519 575-4506, BBechtel@regionofwaterloo.ca,   www.regionofwaterloo.ca

The Region of Waterloo provides more than 60 per cent of municipal services to a growing population of 550,000 people. We are committed to creating an inclusive, thriving and sustainable community through innovative leadership and a range of services such as: public health, social services, planning, heritage, water supply, regional roads, waste management, ambulance service, rural libraries, public transit, community housing, emergency planning, Provincial Offences Courts and airport services.

The City of Cambridge is one of the fastest growing areas in the country. It is strategically located astride highway 401 in southwestern Ontario, part of Canada’s Technology Triangle. In 2010, the population reached over 130,000 people. With a multicultural mix and a strong foundation of support services, Cambridge has a diverse economic base with leading industries in advanced manufacturing, automotive, high technology, pharmaceutical, business and financial services and hospitality/retail. The Corporation of the City of Cambridge is an employer with a progressive work environment that offers the opportunity to provide service to the community through creativity and innovation, and with opportunities for career growth and advancement.