Powering down and charging up for Earth Hour

Vaughan Weekly
March 19, 2014

When you hear about conserving energy, powering down and turning off your lights for Earth Hour, you may feel you have to dig around in your cupboards for the candles and matches. But energy conservation is so much more than just turning off your lights. As events like the annual Earth Hour Vaughan celebration show us, there are many ways to both power down and charge up for Earth Hour.

Powering down

A few decades ago, no one would have ever imagined the vital role conservation would play in helping us meet our energy needs but increasingly governments and utilities are trumpeting how conservation programs are an important part of the mix that assists us in powering our homes and workplaces now and for the future.

For PowerStream, a partner in the Earth Hour Vaughan event on March 29, conservation equals “a sustainable energy future” for our community. Offering the incentive and rebate programs funded by the Ontario Power Authority like the peaksaverPLUS, saveONenergy coupons, Fridge & Freezer Pickup, Heating & Cooling Incentive and New Home Buyers programs, PowerStream is helping their customers to “power down,” which in turn conserves the use of electricity and saves money.

Getting charged up

While in some ways the Earth Hour movement promotes powering down or conserving electricity as a way to be more sustainable, Earth Hour also promotes “charging up” for a cleaner climate future.

We all know that driving our gasoline or diesel-fuelled vehicles produces harmful climate-changing greenhouse gas emissions. So what is the alternative? Electricity of course! When produced from renewable sources like solar and wind generation, electricity is one of the best sources of clean energy. This energy can not only power our homes and businesses but can also fuel our vehicles.

The electric vehicle (EV) market has rapidly expanded in recent years and this year, the Earth Hour Vaughan event will feature an EV exhibit by Plug’n Drive, an Ontario-based non-profit organization working to accelerate the use and expand the awareness of the economic and environmental benefits of EVs.

Plug’n Drive is also inviting all existing EV owners to cruise up to the Earth Hour Vaughan event in their EVs and to share their opinions and experiences of driving electric.

Curious as to how cars get “charged up?” Take a stroll by Vaughan City Hall’s electric vehicle charging station. Want to know more about what it’s like being an EV owner? Visit the Plug’n Drive booth during the Professional Energy Conservation Exhibit, starting at 6:30 p.m. at Vaughan City Hall on March 29.

Join us on March 29, for Earth Hour Vaughan starting at 6:30 p.m.

For a more information contact Jamie Maynard of the Vaughan Earth Hour committee at maynard.insurance@on.aibn.com or visit www.earthhourvaughan.ca.