Vermont Business Magazine On Saturday, March 25, the lights of iconic sites like The Empire State Building and the Space Needle will be turned off between 8:30 and 9:30pm to show solidarity in the fight against climate change as people around the world celebrate the 11th annual Earth Hour. Mayor Miro Weinberger and Burlington Electric Department General Manager (GM) Neale Lunderville are encouraging Burlington homeowners, renters, and businesses to join City Hall, the Church Street Marketplace, and the Unitarian Universalist Church (UU) in turning off non-essential lights during that special hour to symbolize their commitment toward addressing climate change.
“Now, more than ever, it’s important to stand up in the fight against climate change,” said Mayor Weinberger. “In recognition of this important effort, I encourage our community to send a message about the importance of being good stewards of our environment by turning off their lights on Saturday evening.”
“Our team at Burlington Electric is proud of our 100 percent renewable generation accomplishment and our efforts to transition Burlington to a net zero energy city,” said Burlington Electric GM Lunderville. “Participating in Earth Hour is an important way for us to focus not only on working aggressively to reduce demand, realize efficiency gains, and expand renewable generation while keeping rates competitive for our customers, but also on our stand against the negative impacts of climate change.”
Earth Hour serves as a rallying cry that global citizens will remain vigilant in their call for strong implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement and unwavering climate action. Burlington has participated in Earth Hour since 2010. Unique to Burlington's celebration will be star and planet gazing on the UUlawn, sponsored by the Vermont Astronomical Society.
Last year, as part of Earth Hour, Burlington participated in the Earth Hour City Challenge and was named one of three finalists by the World Wildlife Fund, based on Burlington Electric’s 100 percent renewably-sourced generation accomplishment.
Source: BED. burlingtonelectric.com Burlington, Vermont. 3.22.2017