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Pennsylvania, California and Arkansas have joined the Earth Hour movement, becoming the first US states to pledge support to Vote Earth

The State of Arkansas has announced it will be turning off the lights on  the state capitol dome and the governor’s mansion in Little Rock for Earth Hour. The dome on Pennsylvania’s capitol building in Harrisburg will also be going dark.

Last Wednesday, March 18, Pennsylvania became the first Earth Hour  state when its House of Representatives passed a resolution declaring 8:30 to 9:30 pm on Saturday, March 28, as “Earth Hour” in the commonwealth of  Pennsylvania. The California legislature followed suit this week with passage of  an Earth Hour resolution on Monday. In both states, the legislatures urged residents, businesses and state employees to participate in Earth Hour by  turning off all non-essential lighting on homes, businesses and state buildings for the hour.

Pennsylvania State Representative Tim Briggs, who introduced his state’s Earth  Hour resolution, said: “Fighting global warming will take a concerted effort at every level, from the family who separates out its recycling each week to the federal government working to cut carbon emissions nationwide. We are all in this together and I’m proud that Pennsylvania continues to be a leader in the green movement.”

“By promoting the worldwide event and calling on all Californians to participate, we can further contribute to reducing greenhouse gases and help bring awareness to over 35 million Californians on how they can contribute to fighting global warming,” said California State Senator Patricia Wiggins (D), the sponsor of the California Earth Hour resolution. “I encourage everyone to join me in this effort and do all you can to promote this important, worldwide event.”

More than 2,600 cities in over 80 countries, including more than 220 cities in the US, will be participating in Earth Hour on Saturday. Key landmarks going dark for the event include the National Cathedral in Washington, Broadway, Las vegas strip, Niagara Falls, Empire State Building, Eiffel Tower and Elysee Palace in Paris, the Great Pyramids and Sphinx in Egypt, London Eye, and Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur.

Learn more about World Wildlife Fund and Earth Hour  https://www.EarthHourUS.org

Leeza Gibbons to Host Opening of Earth
Hour L.A. Celebration, Tony Okungbowa ("The Ellen DeGeneres Show")
will Emcee, and Broadway Star Douglas Ladnier to Perform at L.A. LIVE, While
sets of "American Idol," "Bones," "Family Guy,"
"Good Day L.A.," FOX 11 News," and FOX Sports West" Join
Previously Announced Shows and Commit to Going Dark

Chateau Marmont, The Standard
Hollywood, The Standard Downtown LA, BP’s Helios House, The Gibson
Amphitheater, The Los Angeles Times Building All Turning Out Lights

-- Free Citywide Celebration in Nokia
Plaza at L.A. LIVE Starting at 6:30 p.m.--

(LOS ANGELES) March
26, 2009–More
celebs are "turning out" as part of World Wildlife Fund’s Earth
Hour L.A. (Mar. 28, 8:30-9:30 p.m.), the first global vote for action on climate
change, and the Earth Hour L.A. free celebration
taking place March 28th at L.A. LIVE starting at 6:30 p.m.  TV personality
Leeza Gibbons, Broadway singer/songwriter Douglas Ladnier join previously
announced emcee Tony Okungbowa from "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," as
well as actor Edward James Olmos, the L.A. Agape choir, led by Tim
McAfee-Lewis, local urban artist Gina Rene, local student group "The Life
Drum Core," and many more surprise guests and celebrities at L.A. LIVE.

 

More Iconic Buildings Turn Out



Andre Balazs Properties including Chateau Marmont, The Standard Hollywood, The
Standard Downtown LA, BP’s Helios House, The Gibson Amphitheater, The Los
Angeles Times, UCLA’s Royce Hall, Wilshire Boulevard Temple, Wilshire
Christian Church, and Wilshire United Methodist Church will turn out their
lights from 8:30 – 9:30 PM on March 28th for Earth Hour.



"American Idol,"
"Bones," "Family Guy," "Good Day L.A.," FOX 11
News, and FOX Sports West join previously announced shows "Dancing with
the Stars," "CSI," "Entertainment Tonight," "The
Insider," "The Price Is Right," and Commit to Going Dark







 The Los Angeles Board of Supervisors, lead by Supervisor Mark Ridley
Thomas, has committed to turn off the following LA County buildings: Kenneth
Hahn Hall of Administration, Stanley Mosk Courthouse, Clara Shortridge Foltz
Courthouse, Hall of Records, and Department of Health Service Administration.

  

These join previous icons including: The Griffith Observatory, Getty Center,
STAPLES Center, and Chris Burden’s outdoor installation Urban Light at
Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) join previously announced list
including El Capitan. Theatre, the Capitol Records Tower, Santa Monica Pier
Ferris Wheel, the pylons at LAX, City Hall, Amoeba Records; I.O. West, Groundlings,
Upright Citizens Brigade, The Comedy Store (all of whom will host "Dark
Performances" on the 28th.)

  

Dine By Candlelight

Dine By Candlelight welcomes the following hotels, restaurants and bars:
Akasha - the first "all green" fine dining restaurant in LA, Tender
Greens - Culver City, The Corner Hollywood, M Cafe – Melrose, Chaya -
Venice, Beverly Hills, Downtown

Euphoria Loves Rawvolution, Mani's Bakery – Fairfax, and Gyenari - Culver
City.

  

At L.A. LIVE, all the restaurants are participating: The Farm of Beverly Hills
- L.A. LIVE, Boca at The Conga, ESPN Zone, Fleming's Prime Steak House and Wine
Bar, New Zealand Natural, Rock N' Fish, Starbuck's Coffee, The Yard House, and
Club Nokia.

  

Thanks to partnerships with OpenTable and Restaurant Week's dineLA, the number
of restaurants across the city who are dimming their lights and serving dinner
and drinks by candlelight (while offering special Earth Hour menus) has hit
more than 60. For more information:
www.EarthHourUS.org/LosAngeles...



Previously Announced

Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick, Los Angeles Kings, Alanis Morissette, Baron
Davis, Big Kenny of Big & Rich, Tom Bergeron of "Dancing with the
Stars," Will.I.Am, Mary Hart of "Entertainment Tonight," Janeane
Garofalo, and others who are joining hundreds of millions of people around the
world in raising awareness and prompting action on climate change. Many of the
celebrities have donated their time to create PSAs and shout-outs, which are
now available on the Earth Hour L.A. Web site (www.EarthHourUS.org/..losangeles
<http://www.EarthHourUS.org/..losangeles>).

  

By the time Earth Hour 2009 reaches L.A.’s city limits, it will have
traveled through 20 time zones, with individuals, businesses and governments in
more than 2,800 cities in 84 countries across the globe turning off
non-essential lights in support.

  

Earth Hour L.A. will be celebrated with a free public event by WWF and Mayor
Antonio Villaraigosa at L.A. LIVE on March 28th beginning at 6:30 p.m.
 KEARTH 101 is a partner of Earth Hour L.A. and will be bringing all of
the week's activities, as well as the evening of the 28th to listeners across
southern California.

  

Dignitaries and special guests previously announced include WWF’s
Margaret Williams, Tim Leiweke, President/CEO of AEG and L.A. LIVE, DJ and TV
Personality Tony Okungbowa, and political figures Jan Perry and Cynthia Ruiz.

  

Local area students and musicians are part of the evening's entertainment
line-up, including 12 young artists that make up the Life Drum Core from the
HeArt Project. The Life Drum Core will perform an original percussion
composition called 'A Funeral for Fossil Fuels' on buckets they have painted to
align with the theme of the music. The group will also perform with local urban
singer/ songwriter Gina Rene who will be performing her song -- and official
Earth Hour L.A. anthem -- "Be the Change." The musical director for
The Life Drum Core is Lonnie 'Meganut' Marshall, a music instructor at the Silver
Lake Conservatory.

  

The CBS Network has committed to turning out all non-essential lights at its
CBS Television City complex for Earth Hour while the sets, and some of the
stars of TV shows will do the same, including: “Dancing with the
Stars" (as well as Tom Bergeron), "Entertainment Tonight" (and
Mary Hart), “The Insider,” “Price is Right,” and
"CSI."

  

Current TV is a partner of Earth Hour L.A. and is now supporting the
“60OneMinutes.org” campaign which is part of Earth Hour, asking
people to create a one minute movie about how they can power their lives using
alternative energy and submit it to www.60oneminutes.org for the chance of
seeing it broadcast on Current TV starting March 28th, Earth Hour Day!  

  

Through AEG's participation with Earth Hour L.A., 28 AEG
properties around the world have committed to turning out and taking action in
their local time zones on March 28th as well.  Additionally real estate
company CB Richard Ellis has committed to turn off all non-essential lighting
and equipment in 80 managed office buildings totaling nearly 20 million square
feet in L.A.

  

 WWF officials stress the importance of safety during Earth Hour, asking
that all lighting related to public safety remain on throughout the event.







National partners for
WWF's Earth Hour 2009 are Esurance, Cox Enterprises, The Coca-Cola Company,
Wells Fargo and Hewlett-Packard.





 About World Wildlife Fund and Earth Hour

Earth Hour
(www.EarthHourUS.org <http://www.EarthHourUS.org>
) is a global initiative of WWF in which millions of people around the world
will cast a vote in favor of action on climate change by turning off their
lights for one hour on March 28, 2009 at 8:30 pm local time. By voting with
their light switches, Earth Hour participants will send a powerful, visual
message to their leaders demanding immediate action on climate change. WWF is
the world’s leading conservation organization, working in 100 countries
for nearly half a century. With the support of almost 5 million members
worldwide, WWF is dedicated to delivering science-based solutions to preserve
the diversity and abundance of life on Earth, stop the degradation of the
environment and combat climate change. Visit www.worldwildlife.org <http://www.worldwildlife.org>
to learn more.