Let's turn off our lights!

Joining the vast global solidarity movement, the Verdun Borough has decided to follow suit and to actively take part in Earth Hour 2008, on Saturday, March 29.

Coordinated by the World Wildlife Fund, Earth Hour is a worldwide event whose objective is to show the public's solidarity through concrete actions to fight climate change, and global warming in particular.

Sydney, Australia took the first step in March 2007, when—within a symbolic gesture—over 2.2 million people and nearly 2,100 businesses of various kinds in this big city turned off their lights for an hour. This movement quickly mushroomed and now over 15 metropolises throughout five continents have registered for the 2008 edition of Earth Hour. The Verdun Borough, through Ville de Montréal, has hopped on the bandwagon and is encouraging the public to take meaningful action on March 29.

Joining City Councillor Ginette Marotte, who heads the Environment Committee, Borough Mayor Claude Trudel is encouraging residents from Verdun's three neighbourhoods to take concrete action by turning off the lights at their home, their commercial establishment or their company, from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, March 29.

"We're proud to be associated with this innovative movement and thereby contribute toward improving air quality and reducing greenhouse gases," stated Mrs. Marotte, "particularly since Ville de Montréal, in its Strategic Plan for Sustainable Development, made a commitment to reduce polluting emissions by 20% between now and 2012. And it's by taking small actions such as this one that we will succeed." It should be noted that the initiative taken by Sydney last year made it possible to reduce the City's energy consumption by 10.2% for that 60-minute period, which is like having removed 48,000 vehicles from the roads for a similar period of time," she pointed out.

"In order to set an example and inspire our residents, all of the Borough's administrative buildings will follow suit and will be in total darkness during Earth Hour," confirmed Mrs. Marotte, nevertheless mentioning that understandably, facilities where cultural, sports or recreational activities are already planned on the program will not be able to take part in this initiative.