Dim response to Earth Hour in Toronto

Nearly a billion people across the world turned out the lights for Earth Hour Saturday night, an annual event that is supposed to encourage energy conservation. However, Toronto, Canada’s biggest metropolis, remained awash with light.

The CN Tower powered down along with Yonge-Dundas square, but many stores in the area stayed at full-power.  

Toronto Hydro reported a lonely five per cent drop in power, which paled in comparison to last year’s impressive 15 per cent reduction.

Although Toronto saved 115 megawatts, which is the equivalent to taking 12 skyscrapers or 35,000 homes off the grid, the results were less than half of what was seen last year.

Nova Scotia is reporting similar numbers, with almost 10 per cent fewer customers going dark in 2011.

Other provinces say it’s going to take a little longer to see just how many people spent that short hour in the dark.  

Earth Hour was started five years ago in Australia to raise awareness and aid in the war against international climate change. The hour-long break from electricity is important, but organizers form the World Wildlife Foundation said the real hope is people will commit to actions that go beyond the hour.

“The big goal of this isn’t power saved, it always makes an impact, I think it’s somewhere between a five and ten per cent impact on energy usage, but the bigger goal is participation,” said Tom Heintzman of Bullfrog Power.

Josh Laugrin of WWF Canada told 680News the possibilities were endless when it came to celebrating Earth Hour.

“How you celebrate Earth Hour is only constrained by your imagination, people do it by candle-lit dinners, there’s playing board games by flashlight, just about any way you can imagine celebrating things in the dark, people are doing it,” Laugrin said.

When Earth Hour started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia, 2.2 million individuals and more than 2,000 businesses turned their lights off for one hour.

Only a year later Earth Hour had become a global sustainability movement with more than 50 million people across 35 countries/territories participating.

Last year, Earth Hour 2010 became the biggest Earth Hour ever. A record 128 countries and territories joined the global display of climate action.

Iconic buildings and landmarks from Asia Pacific to Europe, and Africa to the Americas switched off.

People across the world from all walks of life turned off their lights and came together in celebration and contemplation of the one thing we all have in common, our planet.