The Squamish Climate Action Network (CAN) has partnered with the Howe Sound Brew Pub and 小蓝视频 Hydro/Power Smart to organize an exciting event in celebration of the most recognized hour on the planet.
Earth Hour will take place around the world on Saturday, March 26 from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. and Squamish residents can take part in the festivities with "No Power Hour," an enlightening evening of art, film, discussion and live music, at the Howe Sound Inn.
Organized by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Earth Hour started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia, when 2.2 million individuals and more than 2,000 businesses turned their lights off for one hour to take a stand against climate change. In 2009, more than 50 million people in 35 countries participated. Also included were global landmarks such as the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and Rome's Coliseum. Earth Hour 2010 was the biggest Earth Hour yet - hundreds of millions of people and a record 128 countries joined the global display of climate action.
"This event gives us a global perspective," said Ana Santos, Squamish CAN co-ordinator. "It tells us that it doesn't matter where we are, which continent our community is a part of, that whatever we do has an impact of global proportions."
To commemorate Earth Hour, the Brew Pub will offer a "No Power Hour" menu all day, featuring locally sourced ingredients. Brunch - served until 1 p.m. - will include Glacier Valley Farm's local organic eggs and mushrooms as well as House Made Toast made from the Brew Pub's brewing grain.
A choice of three entr茅es featuring Glacier Valley's free-range chicken plus a vegetarian option will be available after 5 p.m. Everyone who orders off the "No Power Hour" menu will be entered into a raffle for two prizes: a home energy audit provided by Certified Energy Advisor Luke Dolan, and a piece of art by local professional artist Laurel Terlesky, whose popular painting exhibition on energy consumption "We Love This Stuff So Much" will be on display all day on March 26 in the Garibaldi Room (next to the Brew Pub).
The free event will start at 6:30 p.m. in the Garibaldi Room beginning with the National Geographic film "Aftermath: World without Oil" followed by guest speakers Scott Kerr from Switchover.ca to discuss how a number of locals are using waste for power and Robert Eberhard from Pacific Rim BioEnergy, a Whistler-based company, with a presentation on algae as biofuel.
For Earth Hour, between 8:30 and 9:30 p.m., the lights will go off in the Brew Pub and the acoustic rhythms of Quest's Fogon will entertain the crowd for a candlelit 60 minutes. The raffle winner will be announced at 9:30 p.m., followed by the soulful rock and rolls sounds of Baby Harry, the Brew Pub's headline act.
For more information on Earth Hour, visit www.earthhour.org/ or the Canadian website at www.wwf.ca/earthhour/.
