The House of Representatives will be switching off all its lights during Earth Hour on Saturday March 26 from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm as part of Brazil’s Earth Hour manifestations. The event takes place worldwide under the initiative the WWF environmental network. In Brazil, under the banner of “switch off the lights to see a better world”, companies, governments, organisations, communities and individuals are joining the movement, which seeks to call attention to the global warming process.
On behalf of the House, first secretary, representative Rosa de Freitas (PMDB-Espirito Santo) signed an official document of adherence this Tuesday (15). The member of parliament expressed her enthusiasm for the Earth Hour event and promised to make it widely known. This is the third time that the House of Representatives has participated in the movement.
Also on Tuesday, the Brazilian Environment Ministry formalised its participation in Earth Hour with the signing of an official document of adherence. "This initiative is important in the context of engaging in the process of achieving a low-carbon economy and because it will lead to actions beyond the sixty minutes of the Earth Hour itself. It is a starting point for adopting new sustainable attitudes," declared Minister Izabella Teixeira.
WWF-Brazil CEO Denise Hamú, who participated in the signing ceremony, stated that Brazil, “as a mega-diverse country,” needs to set an example to the world . “The participation of the House of Representatives, representing Brazilian society at large, and of the Ministry of the Environment, the executive body for environmental policies, is an unequivocal sign of the importance of this movement and of heightening society’s sensitivity to the issue.”
"Support given by these institutions underscores the importance of harmonising human activities with the conservation of biodiversity and of stimulating the rational use of natural resources,” added Hamú.
In the same way as thousands of other cities around the world, 14 Brazilian cities, among them five state capitals, also signed the Term of Adherence. All of them will be switching off the lights illuminating their monuments, squares, buildings and homes.
Among state capitals participating in Brazil are Natal, Aracaju, Goiânia, Rio de Janeiro and Vitória. Other large cities participating include Barueri (São Paulo), Baturité (Ceará), Caçador (Santa Catarina), Divinolândia (São Paulo), Jumirim (São Paulo), Osasco (São Paulo), Pedreiras (Maranhão), Poços de Caldas (Minas Gerais) and Ribeirão Pires (São Paulo).
The adherence of the state capitals is being achieved with the support of the Brazilian Mayors Organisation (Frente Nacional de Prefeitos -FNP).
The 2011 edition of Earth Hour is expected to bring together thousands of people around the important icons of their cities, which will be kept in darkness for one hour. That is because, in addition to the symbolic act of demonstrating public awareness of environmental disequilibrium on the Planet , many local authorities will be organising public acts and shows.
In Sydney, Australia, actions include substituting the current models of light bulbs illuminating streets and parks by LED bulbs. In Shenyang, China, 38,000 hectares of land will be re-forested.
Find out more about Earth Hour 2011 on the internet at: www.horadoplaneta.org.br . Register and take part in this global movement that the WWF Network organises all over the world every year.
About WWF-Brazil
WWF-Brazil is a Brazilian non-governmental organization dedicated to the conservation of nature aiming to harmonize human activity with biodiversity conservation and to promote the rational use of natural resources for the benefit of current and future generations. WWF-Brazil was created in 1996 in Brasilia and has several projects all over the country and is part of the International Network Environmental Organization WWF, which works in more than 100 countries and counts on the support of around 5 million people worldwide, including associates and volunteers.
About Earth Hour
Earth Hour is a global WWF initiative in partnership. Individuals, businesses, governments and communities are invited to turn out their lights for one hour on Saturday March 26, 2011 at 8:30 PM to show their support for actions to combat global warming. The event began in Sydney in 2007, when 2 million people switched off their lights. In 2008, over 50 million people all over the world took part in the action. In 2009 when WWF-Brazil organised the first Earth Hour in Brazil, almost 1 billion people worldwide switched off their lights. In 2010, Earth Hour involved 4,200 cities in 125 countries.
Register at the Earth Hour 2011 hotsite: www.horadoplaneta.org.br
Press information:
WWF-Brazil:
Maristela Pessoa: +55 61 3364-7464 - maristela@wwf.org.br
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