Earth Hour Vaughan’s Energy Conservation Showcase will ‘light’ and ‘delight’

Vaughan Weekly
March 12, 2014

A few weeks ago you may have read about how Vaughan will “go dark for Earth Hour on March 29.” But before the City flips the switch, visitors to the Earth Hour Vaughan event at Vaughan City Hall will have the opportunity to tour a professional energy conservation exhibit starting at 6:30 p.m.

Promising to “light” and “delight” visitors, this showcase will feature a variety of exhibitors offering Vaughan residents energy technologies, conservation tips and environmental solutions for when you are at home, at work and at play.

Putting conservation first

The Earth Hour Vaughan event, part of the global Earth Hour movement, aims to educate, inspire and engage citizens in a collective energy conservation effort to help combat global increases in climate-changing greenhouse gas emissions.

So much more than simply turning off your lights, energy conservation has become a larger and more committed environmental effort. Right here at home, the Province of Ontario’s Long-Term Energy Plan (LTEP) outlines a commitment to “putting conservation first.” Ontario’s LTEP even heralds energy conservation as “the cleanest and most cost-effective energy resource.” But what does this mean for you?

Taking energy conservation to the next level

Energy conservation can begin with simple actions in the home and at work. Switching your regular light bulbs to Light-Emitting Diodes or LEDs is a quick and cost-effective way to reduce the amount of energy used in your home or workplace for lighting.

Swapping your air conditioner for a ceiling fan, weather-stripping and draft-proofing your home, using a programmable thermostat to regulate your heating, selecting energy-efficient appliances, and even choosing to wash your clothing in cold water are all simple and effective energy conservation actions.

The power is in our hands

Now more than ever before, local communities are taking charge of energy supply and demand, generation and conservation - the power is in our hands. With improvements in technologies, communities all across the province are working to help generate clean energy from renewable sources such as the sun, wind, water, and bioenergy.

Programs like the Ontario Power Authority’s microFIT initiative are encouraging individual citizens and community groups to generate energy from renewable sources and sell it back to the grid for a guaranteed price. Community micro grids and community energy cooperatives are becoming more commonplace.

Want to learn more about how to generate community power, benefit from Ontario’s microFIT program, invest in solar bonds, switch to LEDs, heat your home with solar and geo-thermal heating, and apply solar technologies to your windows and roof? Have questions about the environmental benefits of energy conservation? Need advice on other environmental solutions for your daily life? Come to Vaughan City Hall on March 29 at 6:30 p.m. and tour the Earth Hour Vaughan professional energy conservation exhibit and showcase to learn more. City Hall is located at 2141 Major Mackenzie Drive West in Vaughan.

For a complete listing of the Earth Hour Vaughan energy conservation showcase exhibitors and sponsors contact Jamie Maynard of the Vaughan Earth Hour Committee by email at maynard.insurance@on.aibn.com.

For more information, please visit www.earthhourvaughan.ca.