The Maynard School celebrates WWF’s Earth Hour
05 Apr 2013
The Maynard School is joining over 3,500 schools in the UK and even more across the world in celebrating WWF’s Earth Hour and showing that they care about tackling climate change and protecting the natural world.
On 23 March at 8.30pm, hundreds of millions of individuals, landmarks, businesses and schools across the globe will be plunging into darkness to show they want to help creating a better future for our planet. As the 23 March is a Saturday, Maynard students are doing their bit for Earth Hour on Thursday 21 March instead, by turning off all but utterly essential power across the whole school between 12.45pm and 1.45pm.
WWF’s Earth Hour campaign for 2013 involves an “I will if you will” challenge. The Maynard School’s Eco Warriors team have promised to show a video of the team doing the Harlem Shake in next Monday’s assembly – they will also put it on YouTube if the whole school succeeds in turning off power for the hour.
Upper Sixth student, and leader of the Maynard School’s Eco Warriors Charley McIntyre said, ‘We are proud to take part in WWF’s Earth Hour and excited to be involved with such a great and inspiring event. Everyone can make a difference in saving our planet and students have a key role to play.’
Spanning a record 152 countries in 2012, WWF’s Earth Hour is a simple idea that has become a global phenomenon, with hundreds of millions of people turning off their lights at the same time. It started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia when 2.2 million individuals and more than 2,000 businesses joined in. Last year hundreds of millions of people and landmarks from Big Ben and Buckingham Palace in London to the India Gate in New Delhi, and even as far as The Sydney Opera House, took part.
Cherry Duggan, WWF-UK’s head of schools and youth, said, “WWF’s Earth Hour 2013 is more than just an hour of darkness. It’s a chance for people to come together and send out a global message about protecting our planet. We all want a brighter future, so as we switch off the lights this year, the focus will be on the kind of energy we use. Our planet needs us to move away from dirty fossil fuels to clean renewable energy, but we need to make that change right now. By taking one simple step to switch off you’ll become part of something incredible to make that change a reality.”
Everyone can sign up for WWF’s Earth Hour 2013. For more information and to sign up please visit www.wwf.org.uk/earthhour