Scouts Support Earth Hour 2009

Earth Hour is an initiative that started in Sydney Australia in 2007 with 2.2 million homes and businesses turning their lights off for one hour. In 2008, only a year later, this event had become a global sustainability movement with up to 50 million people across 35 countries participating. Global landmarks such as the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Rome's Colosseum and the Coca Cola billboard in Times Square, all stood in darkness, as symbols of hope for a cause that grows more urgent by the hour.

At 8.30p.m. on 28 March 2009, towns and cities across the world will turn off their lights for one hour sending a powerful global message that it is possible to take action on global warming. Scouts are encouraged to sign up and participate for one hour.

Scouts and their families in their homes, offices and communities are encouraged to switch of their lights for one hour. As the members of the World Scout Youth Forum introduced this initiative and as the environment is of particular interest to young people, we would like this to be a youth led initiative. We would like to empower young people at all levels in our association to share this information, encourage Scouts to be ambassadors for Earth Hour and encourage their families, friends and other members of their community to be involved in this initiative.

There are many ways that the Scouts can support Earth Hour in 2009, from turning out the lights in buildings on the night through to spreading Earth Hour messaging and emissions targets to everyone in the community.

The following information explains various levels of commitment to Earth Hour.

1) Turn out lights at 8:30pm Saturday 28 March 2009
Turn out the lights in your offices, homes or community centres for one hour at 8:30pm on Saturday 28 March 2009.

2) Communicate Earth Hour to friends, community groups and other networks
Provide information about Earth Hour to friends, community groups and other organizations the Scouts work with.

3) Communicate Earth Hour to your other offices nationally and globally
Talk to your offices in other cities both nationally and around the world, and explain what you are doing to support the movement. Encourage organization-wide participation.

4) Communicate long-term Earth Hour goals
Earth Hour is not just about one hour, it’s about making long-term changes to the way we use energy both at school, at work and at home.
When communicating with friends, parents, families, colleagues, community groups, be sure to include secondary messaging regarding emissions reductions, visit www.earthhour.org

5) Distribute Earth Hour posters and postcards
Earth Hour uses two promotional products to promote the Earth Hour message to members of the public: the Earth Hour A2 poster and the Earth Hour postcard.
Perhaps you can give our postcards to your contacts to promote Earth Hour?
Would the Scouts like to co-brand postcards and posters to help spread the Earth Hour message?
Earth Hour can supply existing artwork for modification and logos for artwork or products for distribution.

6) Direct support for Earth Hour
Volunteer for Earth Hour - In the lead-up to 28 March, Earth Hour needs volunteers to help deliver the Earth Hour message and hand out Earth Hour postcards to the general public.
Would the Scouts like to hear more about volunteer opportunities for Earth Hour during March 2009?

7) Make change an everyday part of your lives
Visit www.earthhour.org for information and case studies on how simple changes in the workplace, at school and at home can go a long way.

8) Sign up your local Scout Group at www.earthhour.org.za
Show your support for Earth Hour by signing up your local office at www.earthhour.org.za. It’s free and we’ll send you regular Earth Hour updates and information.

9) Tell us what you are doing for Earth Hour
Earth Hour has many opportunities to feature what the Scouts are doing to support the initiative, from media and PR through to the Earth Hour website and email bulletins.

To see an example of how Scouts at the 10th World Scout Youth Forum joined in Earth Hour please visit the following website: http://www.scout.org/index.php/en/about_scouting/the_youth_programme/environment/environment_projects/youth_forum