Human powered projection casts natural world images onto Royal Albert Hall for WWF’s Earth Hour

26 March, 2011

Press release March 22 2011

Human powered projection casts natural world images onto Royal Albert Hall for WWF’s Earth Hour 

As the UK skyline plunges into darkness for WWF’s Earth Hour at 8.30pm on Saturday 26 March, human energy will light up the Royal Albert Hall with images of endangered species including dolphins and tigers  
 
Television presenter Kirsty Gallacher will lead a team of 60 cyclists to power the black and white animation as part of the world’s biggest call for action to protect the planet and its inhabitants and raise awareness of climate change. 

The event will be one of the largest human powered projections ever attempted in the UK Based on Eadweard J. Mubridge’s motion photography the selected images will highlight our need to protect the natural world, use renewable energy and lead more sustainable lifestyles.

Colin Butfield, Head of Campaigns, WWF-UK says: ‘Our event at the Royal Albert Hall, alongside the hundreds of thousands of events across the world show global support for the need to tackle climate change and protect the natural world. The challenge for our future wellbeing could not be greater. WWF’s Earth Hour is about creating a message so powerful that governments and businesses cannot fail to take notice.’

Iconic landmarks switching off across the UK include Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, the BT Tower, National Gallery, Old Trafford, Clifton Suspension Bridge, Edinburgh Castle, Stormont, Millennium Centre and the Piccadilly lights.  They’ll be joining international landmarks across a record breaking 131 countries and 4,000 cities to date- a powerful message to world leaders of the need for urgent action on climate change and a compelling reminder that we have one planet with limited resources.

Chris Cotton, Chief Executive of the Royal Albert Hall says: ‘The Royal Albert Hall has switched off its lights to mark Earth Hour for the last three years. This year we’ll also be adding an element of light to highlight the natural world with a ground-breaking display of images on our walls. As a charity which promotes and celebrates both the arts and the sciences, we are proud to support the work of the WWF and be part of this exciting event.’

The projection takes place while the Editors are performing as part of the Concerts for Teenage Cancer Trust at the Royal Albert Hall. Now in its eleventh year, the annual week of gigs have raised over £10million for young people with cancer.
WWF is now calling on as many people, businesses, schools and landmarks to join in and make Earth Hour 2011 even bigger than ever before to celebrate its 50th anniversary.

MORE TH>N, official partner to WWF’s Earth Hour 2011, is proud to support this year’s event.

Visit wwf.org.uk/earthhour to register and find out more.

 

Editor's notes

Earth Hour started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia when 2.2 million individuals and more than 2,000 businesses turned their lights off for one hour to take a stand against climate change. Only a year later and Earth Hour had become a global sustainability movement with more than 50 million people across 35 countries participating.

On Saturday 27 March, Earth Hour 2010 128 countries and territories joined the global display of climate action. 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.

WWF is the world’s leading environmental organisation. In 1961, WWF was founded with a mission to save the world’s wildlife. Half a century later, this fundamental ethos hasn’t changed. Today, we work in more than 100 countries, and run some 12,000 projects – each playing an essential role in protecting wildlife and habitats, tackling climate change, and helping people to live a more sustainable lifestyle. Conservation and protection of the environment for the benefit of people and nature has come a long way since 1961, but there’s still much to be done. To find out more please visit wwf.org.uk/50

For further information, please contact:
Rowan Walker, tel: +44 (0) 1483 412 387, email: rwalker@wwf.org.uk

For images please visit:
http://earthhour.panda.org/photos