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Toronto 7°Tomorrow » 16°/4°Change city

Life Green Planet

Beyond Earth Hour

Awareness may be the point of the event, but campaign organizers are pushing for more

By Suzanne Elston, Special to QMI Agency

Last Updated: March 26, 2011 2:00am

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Earth Hour began as a project in Sydney, Australia in 2007. (QMI Agency files)

Earth Hour - celebrated globally on March 26, 2011 from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. - began as a project in Sydney, Australia in 2007. Organized by the World
Wildlife Fund (WWF), the event encouraged citizens to turn off the lights for one hour to draw attention to climate change.

From the 2.2 million Australians who participated four years ago, Earth Hour has become a global phenomenon, celebrated by over 1.3 billion people
in 128 countries around the world. It is now the largest environmental grassroots movement in history.

According to the WWF, that's just the beginning.

"If we can do this, imagine what else we can achieve?" asks the WWF Earth Hour video. "Imagine what could happen if we went beyond that hour?"

The answer, according to "The Energy Report: 100% Renewable Energy by 2050", is to create a brave new world built on renewable energy systems.
WWF International, The Office for Metropolitan Architecture, and Ecofys Netherlands, global experts in renewable energy, produced the Report.

"By 2050, we could get all the energy we need from renewable energy sources," said James P. Leape, Director General of WWF International. "Such
a transition is not only possible, but also cost-effective, providing energy that is affordable for all and producing it in ways that can be sustained by the
global economy and the planet."

"Switching to renewable energy isn't just the best choice. It's our only option," according to the Report.

For further information or to read the WWF report, visit wwf.ca.

10 Steps to a 100% Renewable Future

The WWF Report makes the following 10 recommendations:

1. Clean Energy - Promote only the most efficient products. Develop existing and new renewable energy sources to provide enough clean energy for
everyone by 2050.

2. Grids - Share and exchange clean energy through grids and trade, making the best use of sustainable energy resources in different areas.

3. Access - End energy poverty: provide clean electricity and promote sustainable practices such as efficient appliances.

4. Money - Invest in renewable, clean energy and energy-efficient products and buildings.

5. Food - Stop food waste. Choose food that is sourced in a sustainable way, freeing land for forestry and biofuel production. Eat less meat.

6. Materials - Reduce, reuse and recycle to minimize waste and save energy. Develop durable materials.

7. Transportation - Provide incentives for public transportation, reduce the distances that people and products travel. Promote vehicle electrification
and support research into alternative fuels for aviation and shipping.

8. Technology - Develop national, bilateral and multilateral action plans to promote research and development in energy efficiency and renewable
energy.

9. Sustainability - Develop and enforce strict criteria that will ensure that renewable energy is compatible with environmental and development goals.

10. Agreements - Support ambitious climate and energy agreements that provide global guidance and cooperation on renewable energy and efficiency.

Energy and Equity

1.4 billion people have no access to reliable electricity.

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Beyond Earth Hour | Green Planet | Life | Toronto Sun

2.7 billion people are dependent on traditional bioenergy (burning wood, crop residues and animal dung) for cooking and heating.

2.5 million women and young children die prematurely every year from inhaling fumes from cooking fires.

Wood for fires is often harvested in an unsustainable manner, causing erosion and increasing the risk of mudslides and flooding.

Climate change is responsible for more than 150,000 deaths annually. Most of these deaths occur in the developing world.

Fossil Fuelish!

80% of our global energy currently comes from fossil fuels (oil, gas and coal)

66% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from the global energy sector

Production from known oil and gas reserves will fall by 40 to 60% by 2030

To avoid catastrophic climate change, greenhouse gas emissions must be cut 80% below 1990 levels by 2050

Mission: Possible

7 million household currently use solar water heating

Wind capacity has grown 190% in the last two years

Investment in renewables increased from $ 100 to 150 billion from 2007 to 2009

Wind power supplies 2% of global electricity demand

1,000,000 onshore and 100,000 offshore wind turbines would meet 25% of the world's needs by 2050

0.3% of the Sahara Desert converted to a solar plant could power all of Europe

Harvesting 0.1% of ocean wave energy would provide enough energy for 15 billion people.

Geothermal energy can provide ten times more energy than current global production.

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