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Las Vegas Flicks the Switch for Earth Hour 2009

Officials from World Wildlife Fund (WWF) joined Clark County, Nevada Commissioner Lawrence Weekly, City of Las Vegas Mayor Oscar B. Goodman and City of Henderson Mayor James B. Gibson at the iconic “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign to officially kick off the Las Vegas Valley’s participation in Earth Hour—a global event calling for action on climate change.

On Saturday, March 28, 2009 at 8:30 p.m., Las Vegas will lead more than 240 cities in 70 countries as individuals, businesses, government buildings, schools and major landmarks turn off non-essential lighting in what will be the largest climate event in history.

During Earth Hour in Las Vegas, the iconic “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign will go dark, exterior lights will be turned off at many popular on- and off-Strip hotelcasinos and residents throughout the Valley will dim and turn off the lights in their homes—in a highly visible symbolic gesture that will focus attention on climate change globally, while encouraging local businesses and individuals to take steps to reduce their own environmental footprint.

“No place on the planet is better lit than the Las Vegas Strip, and I’m encouraging all our casinos and our two million residents to dim their lights in support of Earth Hour,” said Clark County Commission Chairman Rory Reid, whose district includes much of the Las Vegas Strip. “2009 marks the centennial of Clark County, so there is no better time to do our part. Supporting Earth Hour promotes our own goals for thoughtful growth management and empowers everyone, from county departments to individual citizens, to be part of the solution.”

“Our community is excited to be a flagship city for Earth Hour 2009 as this event follows our city’s commitment to sustainability,” said Las Vegas Mayor Oscar B. Goodman. “We hope that Las Vegas will serve as an example of sustainability for the 40 million visitors who pass through our great city each year, and for millions more around the world.”

Las Vegas was selected by WWF as an official flagship city and joins other U.S. flagship cities including Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville and San Francisco. Globally, the list of Earth Hour cities includes Auckland, Beijing, Bogota, Cape Town, Copenhagen, Dubai, Edinburgh, Helsinki, Homer Glen, Hong Kong, Istanbul, Kiev, Kuala Lumpur, Lisbon, London, Manila, Mexico City, Moscow, Oslo, Rome, Singapore, Sydney, Tel Aviv, Toronto, Wellington and Vancouver with more expected to sign on in the weeks ahead.

“When it comes to shining the spotlight on climate change, there is no city better suited to the job than Las Vegas and we couldn’t be more thrilled to have them onboard as a flagship city for Earth Hour 2009,” said Leslie Aun, Earth Hour US Managing Director, speaking at the launch event. “Earth Hour lets people express their concern about climate change and give their elected leaders a message that they want action before it’s too late. Earth Hour also sends a strong message to the global community that the American people want the US to again take a leadership role in finding solutions to one of the most urgent threats facing our planet.”

In addition to turning off non-essential exterior lights, some hotel-casinos on and off the Las Vegas Strip will host viewing parties and special events. Local residents can participate in any of these events, or can support the initiative by simply turning off the lights in their own homes and hosting mini events such as candlelit dinners or game nights with family and friends.

For further information about Earth Hour in the United States, visit www.earthhourus.org. For further information and updates about Earth Hour Las Vegas and to view a list of major participants, visit www.earthhourlv.org. Earth Hour Las Vegas can also be followed on Facebook at http://tinyurl.com/EALVfan and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/earthhourlv.

About World Wildlife Fund
With the support of almost 5 million members worldwide, WWF is dedicated to delivering science-based solutions to preserve the diversity and abundance of life on Earth, stop the degradation of the environment and combat climate change. Visit www.worldwildlife.org to learn more.