Worst year yet for Earth Hour in Toronto, but York Region improves


Ctvnews.ca
March 29, 2015
By Josh Dehaas


Toronto Hydro didn’t even come close to meeting its goal of a 10-per-cent reduction in electricity usage during Earth Hour on Saturday.

The utility stated it observed a 3.5-per-cent reduction in power consumption between 8:30 and 9:30 p.m., when people around the world shut off lights and electronics as part of the annual event aimed at helping people recognize their impact on the planet.

That was a lower reduction than every year since the event was first observed in Toronto in 2008.

The drop was far lower than last year, when a six-per-cent reduction was observed, and it was just a fraction of the 15-per-cent savings experienced during Earth Hour 2009.

Many who lit candles and observed the annual event on Saturday appeared to notice that fewer lights were turned offthis year.

However, Toronto Hydro still congratulated those who took part, saying it was the equivalent to taking about 42,000 homes off the grid.

Many who lit candles and observed the annual event on Saturday appeared to notice that fewer lights were turned off this year. Here are some photos from disappointed Instagram users.

But while fewer Toronto residents took part, the good news for Earth Hour enthusiasts is that suburban York Region, which contains Vaughan and Markham, experienced a six-per-cent drop in consumption this year.

That was up from a 4.8-per-cent reduction one year earlier, according to the utility PowerStream.

Earth Hour was started in 2007 by World Wildlife Fund Australia and spread to other cities, including Toronto, the following year. By 2013, it had spread to more than 7,000 cities around the world.