Tri-City residents and businesses will be turning out the lights this weekend as part of Earth Hour, an annual global event designed to draw attention to climate change.
Between 8:30 and 9:30 p.m. tomorrow (Saturday), the cities of Port Coquitlam, Coquitlam and Port Moody are urging residents to power down all non-essential lights and energy sources. City facilities will also be participating in the event.
While Earth Hour is more about raising awareness, Port Moody's manager of sustainability, Margot Davis, said the energy savings from the 60-minute period is significant. During the 2013 event, there was enough electricity saved in Port Moody to power 29 homes for a year.
"It seems inconsequential," she said. "It's hard to get your mind around small actions. When you do it as a large collective, it really pays off."
During last year's Earth Hour, Port Coquitlam residents managed to save about 444,092 kilowatt hours, enough to power 40 households. Earth Hour participation also led to a greenhouse gas reduction equal to the operation of 16 passenger vehicles per year.
That number was up dramatically from 2012 - the first year the city participated - when only 134,500 kilowatt hours were saved.
In Coquitlam, the city will reduce energy consumption at its civic buildings and recreation facilities, and is encouraging staff to participate at home.
For more information about Earth Hour, go to earthhourcanada.org.
