Earth Hour Outcomes:

How did Canada do?

Canada had one of the highest participation rates with over 150 cities joining in. Major attractions like Niagara Falls and the CN Tower as well as city halls across the country turned off their lights; even Parliament Hill went dark for Earth Hour.

How much power did we save? Toronto reduced its power consumption by 8.7% beating its target of 5%. London boasted a 2% reduction in power.

BC saw a province-wide decrease of 2% despite a cold snap that had some people turning up the thermostat. North Vancouver had the highest power conservation in province with 7% decrease.

Earth Hour & You

Just because Earth Hour is over doesn’t mean you have to stop trying to conserve. Earth Hour sponsor, the World Wildlife Fund is promoting its The Good Life program which encourages simple but significant lifestyle changes to help fight climate change. Here are some of The Good Life suggestions:

Get a high efficiency furnace - if your furnace is past its prime, consider replacing it with a high efficiency furnace to save money and reduce greenhouse gases.
Insulate your home - adding insulation to your basement, attic and exterior walls can save on heating costs while reducing your carbon dioxide emissions.
Install low-flow showerheads - helps to reduce water usage and saves money on water heating.
Equip your home with smart controls - with new technology you can control everything from you oven to your outdoor lights via computer. To conserve energy you can turn things on only when you need them.
Consider switching to green power - sign up with a green electricity company that provides your home with power generated from renewable resources such as wind energy and low-impact water power.