MEDIA RELEASE
NO. 160/ 2010
04 MARCH 2010


The City of Cape Town will again be supporting the annual ‘Earth Hour’ organised by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). Millions around the world will turn off their lights for an hour at 20:30 on Saturday 27 March 2010 to raise awareness and show support for climate change action. The City also calls on its residents to turn energy efficiency into a way of life beyond this annual event. Pledge your support at www.wwf.org.za

The City will use a range of communication channels to encourage its staff and residents to consider the Earth for that hour and switch off their lights as a symbolic act. A request has been made for all municipal building lights to be turned off at this time, as well as the lights on Table Mountain.

South Africa and Cape Town have very high carbon footprints mainly because of our coal-fired electricity usage. We are also facing many years of electricity supply shortage, and rising prices. Using electricity more efficiently is the most environment-friendly, cheapest, easiest way to reduce our carbon footprint and reduce the risk of power cuts.

“The City calls on its citizens to rise to this current challenge and take action to achieve further electricity saving. Using electricity wisely saves money and helps save the Earth’s resources,” says Executive Mayor Dan Plato.

“Later this year the City will be launching an Electricity Saving Campaign calling on Capetonians to collectively use 10% less electricity. The campaign will start with a focus on smart ways to save. Water heating is the biggest single electricity user in homes, using about 40% of electricity. Normal electric geysers (or hot water cylinders) are usually the biggest power guzzlers”, says Cllr Marian Nieuwoudt, Mayoral Committee Member for Planning and Environment, and Chair of the City’s Energy Committee.

The City leads a range of other initiatives to encourage electrical energy efficiency. Energy Efficiency Forums have been set up for large commercial and industrial electricity consumers. The City’s Youth Environmental School (YES) programme already reaches about 1 600 schools per year, and ‘Smart Living’ programmes reach thousands of public and private sector staff members and residents. Public lighting, traffic lights and the City’s own large office buildings are being upgraded to be more energy efficient. The City is developing Green Building Guidelines, an energy efficient water heating by-law has been prepared and the City is working on a programme to support the mass roll-out of solar water heaters.

For more information about ways to save at home, see:
• The Environmental Resource Management section of the City’s website, including the Smart Living Handbook (energy section) and the Energy Efficiency web pages. See: www.capetown.gov.za/environment
• Eskom’s website: www.eskomdsm.co.za
• The National Energy Efficiency Agency’s national campaign website: www.savingenergy.co.za
• WWF’s website: www.panda.org.za


Note to editors:
Images of landmarks switching off for Earth Hour 2009 can be found at the Earth Hour Media Centre on www.earthhour.org

Media resources:
Broadcast quality B-roll footage from Earth Hour 2009 is available for download at http://www.divshare.com/folder/484306-676

Earth Hour 2009 photographs are available at http://www.divshare.com/folder/481556-91c

About Earth Hour
Earth Hour is a global WWF climate change initiative. Individuals, businesses, governments and communities are invited to turn out their lights for one hour on Saturday March 27, 2010 at 8:30 PM to show their support for action on climate change. The event began in Sydney in 2007, when 2 million people switched off their lights. In 2008, more than 50 million people around the globe participated. In 2010, Earth Hour aims to reach out to 1 billion people in 1,000 cities. For more information visit www.wwf.org.za


END

ISSUED BY:
COMMUNICATION DEPARTMENT
CITY OF CAPE TOWN


MEDIA QUERIES:
SARAH RUSHMERE
CITY ELECTRICITY SAVING CAMPAIGN: ELECTRICITY EFFICIENCY CAMPAIGN MANAGER
CELL: 082 771 5137

JOSHUA COX
WWF EARTH HOUR: COMMUNICATION COORDINATOR: WWF LIVING PLANET UNIT
TEL: 021 888 2897