Washington Monument to go dark for Earth Hour

The Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks is proud to announce that the Washington Monument in Mt. Vernon will go dark for Earth Hour 2009. We are so pleased to have this iconic piece of the Baltimore skyline join in this historic event.

For more information or if you have a building or business that is participating in Earth Hour and would like to be added to the website, please contact Brett Buikema at the Baltimore Office of Sustainability at Brett.Buikema@baltimorecity.gov

Venable LLP Joins Earth Hour

Venable will be observing Earth Hour on Saturday, March 28, from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Earth Hour focuses global attention on the issue of climate change by encouraging people to turn off lights for one hour. Property Management for 750 E. Pratt and the Candler Building are also observing Earth Hour by turning off all non-essential lights for one hour on Saturday. The goal is to have one billion people worldwide observe this symbolic hour of conservation.

Johns Hopkins Joins Earth Hour

March 27, 2009

Celebrate Earth Hour at Hopkins this Saturday night

Earth Hour, a global initiative to raise awareness about global warming, will take place this weekend on Saturday, March 28, from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Johns Hopkins has joined the City of Baltimore and other area businesses to support this effort, and encourages all faculty and staff to turn off all non-essential lights and electronic appliances – including monitors, printers, and copiers – on Friday before leaving for the weekend. For more information visit http://www.sustainability.jhu.edu

Baltimore City Department of Public Works Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thursday, March 26, 2009

Lights go out in city buildings during Earth Hour on March 28

Baltimore City Department of Public Works Director David E. Scott, P.E. has announced that the agency will participate in Earth Hour, a world-wide call to switch off lights on Saturday, March 28, 2009. Earth Hour begins at 8:30 p.m. and ends at 9:30 p.m.Lights will go off at 10 city-maintained landmark buildings in the downtown area.

Earth Hour is an annual international event, sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund, to spotlight concerns about climate change. Switching off your light is a symbolic vote of support for the Earth and the environment. During Earth Hour, lights will be switched-off in the following city buildings: City Hall, the Abel Wolman Municipal Building, the MECU building, the Charles L. Benton building, the Peoples Court, the War Memorial Building and the Fire Department Headquarters. These buildings are all located around City Hall in the area bounded by Baltimore Street, Saratoga Street, Guilford Avenue and President Street.

DPW Bureau of General Services Head Khalil Zaied said the bureau is happy to support this event. “Not only does it help reduce carbon emissions but encourages citizens to reflect on ways they can help save on energy costs and make Baltimore and their environment greener.” The Bureau of General Services not only maintains city buildings and vehicles, but also has an Energy Office that works to implement energy efficiency measures and increase the use of renewable energy sources in City facilities.

Earth Hour began in 2007 and has grown into a global sustainability event, with millions more joining in the event each year. DPW recommends that people call ahead to establishments they plan to visit during Earth Hour to see how they are commemorating this event.

For additional information, visit EarthHour.org.

Contact: Celeste Amato or Cathy C. Powell
Celeste.Amato@baltimorecity.gov
Cathy.Powell@baltimorecity.gov

The Baltimore World Trade Center Joins Earth Hour Baltimore

The Baltimore World Trade Center, the world's tallest equilateral five-sided building, joins the growing list of landmark buildings participating in Earth Hour 2009. We are pleased to have them on board.

If you would like to join, visit http://www.earthhourus.org/ for more information and contact Brett.Buikema@baltimorecity.gov to have your building added to the website.

Wells Real Estate Funds to Observe "Earth Hour"

Wells Real Estate Funds to Observe “Earth Hour” on March 28
Buildings Going Dark to Promote Environmental Awareness

March 24, 2009 11:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

NORCROSS, Ga.--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--Wells Real Estate Funds, a nationally recognized leader in real estate investing, will turn out the lights at properties nationwide this Saturday in observance of Earth Hour.

Homes, companies and cities around the world will go dark for one hour, starting at 8:30 p.m., to promote environmental awareness, in an effort founded by the World Wildlife Fund. Wells is based in the suburbs of Atlanta, one of Earth Hour’s key cities.

Wells specializes in Class-A office properties; its investment programs own 117 buildings nationwide. Wells intends to darken its owned-and-operated buildings, and the company also has invited tenants at some three dozen net-leased buildings to do likewise. Participating Wells buildings in Saturday’s Earth Hour event will include 222 E. 41st Street in Manhattan, 100 East Pratt Street in Baltimore, 5 Houston Center, and the Key Center tower in Cleveland.

“We are proud to join this worldwide call for environmental awareness,” said Don Henry, chief real estate officer for Wells. “This is our second year as a supporting company of Earth Hour, and our tenants and staff are excited about this opportunity to display our shared environmental commitment.”

WWF bills Earth Hour as the largest global climate event in history. An estimated 50 million people worldwide participated in 2008.

In keeping with Earth Hour, Wells buildings will turn off interior and exterior lights between 8:30 and 9:30 p.m. local time, except for lighting that is essential for safety or tenant commitments.

Wells is a certified ENERGY STAR® partner and has earned ENERGY STAR recognition at 23 of its properties nationwide in the past two years. Wells’ portfolios also include five LEED-certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) buildings.

Since its founding in 1984, Wells Real Estate Funds has invested more than $12 billion in real estate for more than 250,000 investors. Wells funds include REITs, mutual funds and other commercial real estate investment vehicles. For more information, see http://www.wellsref.com/.

Contacts
Rubenstein Communications
Josh Hamilton, 212-843-8304

Earth Hour - Baltimore Welcomes The National Aquarium

The National Aquarium will go dark on Saturday, March 28, 2009 between 8:30pm and 9:30pm in support of Earth Hour to help make a global statement of concern about climate change and to demonstrate commitment to finding solution.

As a major attraction that lights up Baltimore’s sky line, the Aquarium has become an important landmark on the Inner Harbor. It a very intricate building that is home to over 16,000 animals, and so turning off the lights off is no easy feat.

The following parts of the National Aquarium will be dark: the glass pavilion which houses Animal Planet Australia: Wild Extremes, the Rain Forest exhibit, upper and lower lobbies, gift shop and café, the ticket center, and all outdoor perimeter lights, spot lights, ground lights, tree lights and tri-vision sign lights on Pier 3. For safety purposes, all essential emergency lights will stay on.