East Lothian crowned UK ‘Lights-Out’ champions as nation goes dark for WWF’s Earth Hour 1 comment
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East Lothian claims top spot as global climate switch off breaks all records
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Six Scottish communities finish in top-ten of UK ‘lights-out’ league table
The residents of a Scottish local authority area were today crowned the UK’s first unofficial ‘lights-out’ champions, by environmental charity WWF Scotland. In a UK-wide, eco-friendly competition to see which part of the country would sign up the largest proportion of its population to take part in WWF’s Earth Hour on Saturday (27 March), East Lothian topped WWF’s ‘lights-out’ league table of 100 authorities during the final crucial hour (8:30pm – 9:30pm).
The east coast authority area pipped Greater London to the top spot and five other Scottish local authority areas (Edinburgh (3rd), West Lothian (4th), Perth & Kinross (5th), Stirling (6th) and Shetland Islands (10th)) that also finished in the UK top ten.
The East Lothian result capped a record-breaking night for the annual global awareness-raising event and a night of record-breaking support in Scotland. The people of Scotland joined hundreds of millions of people in 4,000 towns and cities in a record 125 countries and regions around the world on Saturday night in switching off their lights for WWF’s Earth Hour in an historic moment of global unity.
From Edinburgh and Inverness Castles to the Scottish Parliament and Wallace Monument thousands of people from all walks of life joined together in switching their lights off for 60 minutes in a graphic demonstration of support for people and wildlife threatened by climate change. Many of the nation’s most iconic structures and buildings were plunged into darkness along with global icons such as the Sydney Opera House, the pyramids of Giza, the Eiffel Tower, the Empire State Building, and the Forbidden City in Bejiing.
Here in Scotland, former weather presenter Heather Reid joined WWF supporters for an amazing light-show and countdown event at the Falkirk Wheel.
Other events that took place in Scotland included a night golf charity event at Fairmont St Andrews, candle-lit meals, topical film screenings and torch-lit walks. There were also several competing Earth Hour pub quizzes and Earth Hour cocktail parties. The event was also supported in Scotland by the Scottish Government, 29 local authorities, over 300 schools and nearly two hundred businesses, public bodies and other organisations.
WWF Scotland’s Director, Dr Richard Dixon said:
“Congratulations to the residents of East Lothian and to the thousands of others who took part right across Scotland. We’d like to thank everyone who helped to make Earth Hour in Scotland such a massive success. WWF’s Earth Hour 2010 was truly a record breaker with 125 countries and territories across all seven continents taking part. The record support for WWF’s Earth Hour really does demonstrate that people recognise climate change as one of the most serious threats facing people and nature. Last year, world leaders missed a key opportunity to agree a global climate deal in Copenhagen. By switching off their lights on Saturday the people of Scotland have joined hundreds of millions around the world in sending a strong call to action on climate to world leaders.”
East Lothian resident and member of Sustainable Haddington, Abbie Marland, said:
“To finish top for the entire UK was a fantastic achievement, and just shows how deeply the people of East Lothian and the rest of Scotland care about the environment. This was a really powerful message, delivered by working together at the heart of community. Local support was brilliant – from schools, businesses, our local Council and so many residents. Climate change needs action at every level. We had fun with WWF’s Earth Hour – now we need to make sure East Lothian and the rest of Scotland now lead the way with sustainable living.”
