Saginawians sign on for Earth Hour

by Cole Waterman | The Saginaw News
Monday March 24, 2008, 7:18 AM

Earth Hour started with one city. Now it is sweeping across the globe.

Saturday, many, perhaps millions, throughout the world will turn off their lights for one hour as a symbol of man's impact on climate.

Earth Hour 2008 begins at 8 p.m. in each time zone.

"Everyone can do something," said Kennetha A. Hoffmann of Saginaw.

Hoffmann -- a recyling advocate who takes care of youngsters at the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church daycare, 5335 Brockway in Saginaw Township --Â said consideration for children and their future is a major motivation in her ecological activism.

"I am doing my little part where I can by telling people and getting people involved," Hoffmann said. "Even the smallest difference with all these people can make a big change."

Citizens planning to participate should "turn off all optional electronic appliances -- even the television," said Stella K. Thelen, 62, also of Saginaw. "Businesses leave a lot of lights on through the night, and a lot (of those) could be turned off."

A member of the World Wildlife Fund and garden clubs, Thelen plants flowers throughout Saginaw and collects litter.

"No one else will do it if we don't," she said.

Hoffmann suggested making the event into a "green party," a gathering with friends and family by candlelight to discuss bettering the environment.

The World Wildlife Fund staged the first Earth Hour on March 31 last year in Sydney, Australia. According to the fund's Web site, www.earthhour.org, 2.2 million Sydney residents and 2,100 businesses turned off lights for the hour, including the managers of such icons as the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. The event reduced energy consumption by 10.2 percent for the hour, an equivalent of taking 48,000 cars off the road for a year.

Some participating American cities include Chicago, Phoenix and San Francisco. Foreign cities include Melbourne, Australia; Dublin, Ireland; and Copenhagen, Denmark.

As of this morning, www.earthhour.org reported 183,601 people and 11,677 businesses had signed an online agreement to participate, with the number still rising. All who sign up receive tips on how to become more involved in reducing their impact on climate change.