Earth Hour 2008 Resolution Approved by Executive Board

March 6, 2008

The burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas for electricity, transportation and manufacturing has led to increased amounts of greenhouse gases being released into the atmosphere. This has caused the planet to heat up at an accelerated rate resulting in global warming and climate change. The potentially catastrophic consequences of climate change on our physical surroundings, social infrastructure and standards of living require that immediate actions be taken.

OPSEU’s environmental policy acknowledges the critical problem of global warming and commits the union to take steps to both reduce the Union’s environmental footprint and to encourage our members, staff, employers, suppliers, communities and other networks to do the same. In Ontario, approximately 10% of all residential electricity use is for lighting. Earth Hour 2008 provides OPSEU with an opportunity to make a difference and to demonstrate our commitment to the environment.

WHEREAS Earth Hour 2007 resulted in more than 2,000,000 Sydney, Australia households and businesses turning their lights off for one hour on March 31, 2007;

WHEREAS this resulted in the reduction of 25,000 tons of carbon dioxide (equivalent to getting 48,613 cars off the road for one hour); and

WHEREAS Earth Hour 2008 has gone world-wide with commitments to date to turn the lights off for one hour at 8:00 p.m. on March 29, 2008 from 17 major cities including Toronto, thousands of organizations and tens of thousands of individuals, and.

WHEREAS a number of smaller cities and communities in Ontario will also be participating including Hamilton, Sarnia, Brampton and Stratford as well as OPSEU employers including the Ontario Science Centre and Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services,

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that OPSEU add its name to the growing list of organizations which have endorsed Earth Hour, and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT OPSEU turn off the lights in all of its owned & leased facilities for one hour at 8:00 p.m. on March 29,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that OPSEU encourage its members and staff to participate by turning the lights off in their homes during Earth Hour.

See Earth Hour  for more information.