Great news hot off the press from Dublin City Council - see below! Labour councilors are putting the same motion to councils across the country but your support is needed! Please write or email your local councilors asking them to support the motion.
Also please note that the time of the event is from 9pm to 10pm. This is one hour later than some cities in order to ensure we have dark skies for the event. Can the astronomy club representative among you please start planning some form of public observing for the night?
Best Wises,
~Albert
--
Albert White MSc FRAS
Chairperson, International Dark Sky Association - Irish Section
www.ilpac.eu
Forwarded message
From: Cathy Flanagan
Date: 6 Feb 2008 13:07
Subject: Earth Hour campaign
To: info@ilpac.eu
Dear Albert
Labour Party Councillors throughout the country have tabled Council motions calling for support of the Earth Hour global campaign.
On Monday evening, Dublin City Council approved the motion. A similar council motion has been included on the agenda for next week in Local Authorities such as Galway City Council,Cork City Council and Clare County Council.
I hope you will consider notify your members and including an update to those who subscribe to the yahoo group.
Given that the motion failed to secure support on Athlone town Council last Monday, we would appreciate the support of your members by asking them to contact Councillors on Galway City Council,Cork City Council and Clare County Council to urge them to support this motion.
Regards
Cathy Flanagan
Campaigns Officer
________________________________
STATEMENT BY CLLR PADDY BOURKE
Labour Lord Mayor of Dublin
Tuesday, 05 February 2008
DUBLIN TO LEAD IRISH CITIES IN EARTH HOUR 2008
The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Councillor Paddy Bourke, has welcomed the council's endorsement of his motion seeking to support Earth Hour 2008.
The motion was passed during Lord Mayor's Business at last night monthly City Council meeting.
Lord Mayor Burke said: "Earth Hour is an international campaign and Dublin is one of the latest cities to get behind this important event where on March 29th all non-essential lights will be switched off for an hour.
"This campaign is important and everyone from citizens up to Government has a duty to do what they can against global warming. It is up to us all to do what we can to reduce our CO2 emissions. Through one simple action, turning off our lights for an hour, we can deliver a powerful message about the need for action.
"I am thrilled that as Dublin Lord Mayor I will be leading our capital city in its participation in this international event. It was estimated during the Sydney Earth Hour last night demand for electricity dropped by 10 per cent. It would be fantastic if we could
do the same in Dublin.
I would urge businesses and homes to join in and take part in the campaign."
The wording of the motion passed last night and currently being tabled by other Labour Councillors throughout the country reads as follows
That this Council recognizes the need for action on global warming and the need to conserve energy, reduce carbon emissions and also the need to reduce light pollution of our night skies.
That this Council will support Earth Hour 2008 (
www.earthhour.org
) by turning off all non-essential lights controlled by the Council from 9 to 10 PM on 29 March 2008 to support a collective world-wide effort to show the difference that can be made by this initiative and to raise public awareness of the need to use less energy.
Requests that the City/County Manager/Town Clerk to take all possible steps to implement the turning off of all non essential lights in its control as part of Earth Hour 2008
Will write to the local Chamber of Commerce and business community to lend their support to this initiative.
And that the City/County Manager/Town Clerk will make a statement on the Matter
Ends
  