Earth Hour Challenge – March 27, 2010 - City of Brantford

NOTICE OF MOTION DATE: Feb. 1, 2010MOVED BY COUNC. CARPENTER:7.1 Earth Hour Challenge – March 27, 2010 – Councillor CarpenterWHEREAS climate change is the biggest environmental threat to our planetand the number one concern for Canadians; andWHEREAS at exactly 8:30 p.m. on March 27, 2010, major cities around theworld will turn off their lights for one hour to raise awareness about climatechange and to symbolize that, working together, the people of the world canmake a difference in the fight against global warming; andWHEREAS the event, called “Earth Hour”, a World Wildlife Fund (WWF)initiative that was officially announced in December 2007 at the UnitedNations Conference on Climate Change, has grown from a single event inSydney, Australia to a global phenomenon where over 4,000 cities and townsand 88 countries made “Earth Hour” 2009 the largest climate awarenesscampaign in history; andWHEREAS a poll commissioned by WWF-Canada shows that more than halfof all adult Canadians (52%) participated in WWF’s Earth Hour in 2009,creating an unprecedented call to action on climate change in advance of theUN negotiations in Copenhagen in December. The main reasons peopleturned off their lights were to show support for action on climate change andexpress a commitment to take personal action for the environment; andWHEREAS participating in this historic event sends a powerful message toevery citizen and business around the world that it’s possible to take action onclimate change and that switching off our lights is just one simple action wecan take to help make a difference; andWHEREAS the goal is to educate the community on the threat of climatechange and what each individual and business can do to make a differenceevery day; and to get as many individuals, households, and businesses aspossible to turn off their lights as a symbolic statement that now is the time totake action on climate change; andWHEREAS the City of Brantford has participated in the Earth Hour initiativefor the past two years as its residents are very energy conscious and wouldbe up to the challenge of decreasing energy consumption;NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Corporation ofthe City of Brantford:

A. THAT at 8:30 p.m. on March 27, 2010, the City of Brantford, inconjunction with Brantford Power, JOIN other cities around the world inliterally “turning out the lights” by shutting off all non-essential lighting inall of its facilities, where feasible, and without jeopardizing safety, for onefull hour; andB. THAT, to be formally recognized around the world as an Earth Hourparticipant, the appropriate staff REGISTER at www.earthhour.org, theofficial website for this initiative; andC. THAT the City of Brantford’s participation in Earth Hour BE WIDELYPROMOTED AND PUBLICIZED, including notice in the Civic News, inorder to raise awareness about this important issue and in order toencourage every individual, household and business in Brantford, andbeyond, to join in by turning off their lights, and all other non-essentialpower, for one hour at 8:30 p.m. on March 27, 2010; andD. THAT the residents and business owners of Brantford CELEBRATEtogether in Harmony Square as we Turn Out the Lights at 8:30 p.m. onMarch 27, 2010; andE. THAT the City provide free transit service between the hours of 6:30p.m. and 10:30 p.m. on March 27, 2010 to the Harmony Square EarthHour Community Event, with the total amount of lost transit fare revenuein the approximate amount of $600 being transferred from the CorporateContingency Fund to the Transit Department's revenue line so as not toimpact their Departmental budget; andF. THAT a By-law to amend By-law 185-2008, being a By-law to Fix Feesand Charges to be Collected by the Corporation of the City of Brantford,to provide free transit service for the 2010 Earth Hour Community Event,BE PRESENTED to City Council for adoption; andG. THAT Brantford participate in other green initiative in support of ClimateChange; andH. THAT Brantford make present an official challenge to othermunicipalities in AMO by forwarding a copy of this resolution and askingthat it be adopted, and that the municipalities willing to take on theofficial challenge will notify The Branlyn Neighbourhood Association sothat measurements can be tracked; andI. THAT Brantford move one step further by not only recognizing EarthHour on the last Saturday of March, but take one bold step forward andadopt 8:30 – 9:30pm on the last Saturday of every month as a

continuance of Earth Hour and shut off all non-essential lighting andpower; andJ. THAT the Branlyn Neighbourhood Youth Association BE RECOGNIZEDfor their leadership efforts in continuing to bring Earth Hour, a globalevent to Brantford.YES __ : NOCOUNC. J. BRADFORD __:_____COUNC. J. KINNEMAN: _____COUNC. J. SLESS: _____COUNC. D. McCREARY :______COUNC. J. CALNAN :______COUNC. M. CESCHI-SMITH :______COUNC. R. CARPENTER______:_____COUNC. G. MARTIN _: _____COUNC. V. BUCCI _: _____COUNC. M. LITTELL _: _____MAYOR M. HANCOCK _: _____