Romania turns the lights off for Earth Hour this Saturday

Several cities across Romania will join the global Earth Hour event on March 31^st. The event, which takes place between 8.30 pm and 9.30 pm, aims to raise awareness on existent environmental challenges.

The participating Romanian cities are: Adjud, Bistrita, Botosani, Braila, Brasov, Bucharest, Cluj, Constanta, Giurgiu, Iasi, Mizil, Panciu, Ploiesti, Ramnicu Valcea, Roman, Sighisoara, Slobozia, Suceava, Vaslui and Timisoara.

The town of Bistrita in Northern Romania has been selected as Romania’s Earth Hour capital for 2012. Bistrita’s citizens won a World Wild Fund WWF challenge to collect as much PET packaging for recycling as possible. The contest took place among the three finalists of the WWF competition – the towns of Bistrita, Timisoara and Iasi. Bistrita citizens collected 16,.7 tons of PET packaging.

From the United Nations to the World Organization of the Scout Movement, UNESCO to the Vatican, the most recognized leaders and influential organizations in the world have declared their support for Earth Hour.

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon announced that the UN would be switching off their lights for Earth Hour on 31 March, as he called on people, organizations and businesses to do the same, in solidarity with the 20 per cent of men, women and children who don’t have access to electricity.

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Executive Director and Co-Founder of Earth Hour, Andy Ridley said the world’s leading organizations are sending a clear signal that they are committed to doing more to protect the planet. “The collective impact of these organizations who are lending support to Earth Hour this year is immense. Imagine the possibilities when this impact is translated into action beyond the hour.”

Earth Hour is a global environmental initiative in partnership with WWF and Leo Burnett. Individuals, businesses, governments and communities are invited to turn out their lights for one hour on Saturday March 31, 2012 at 8:30 PM to show their support for environmentally sustainable action. In 2012, Earth Hour’s I Will If You Will concept invites individuals and organizations to challenge others to an ongoing environmental commitment beyond the hour. Earth Hour began in one city in 2007 and by 2011 reached over 1.8 billion people in 135 countries across every continent, receiving reports as ‘the World’s largest campaign for the planet’.

Earth Hour 2012 will take place at 8.30pm – 9.30pm on Saturday 31 March.

Photo: Lights out at the Parliament Palace, WWF/ Stefan Anghelescu by Earth Hour Global