Title
Declaring Saturday, March 25, 2017 from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. to be "Earth Hour" in the City of Saint Paul.
Body
WHEREAS, March 25, 2017, 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. has been designated as "Earth Hour" by the World Wildlife Fund as a reminder that, by working together, people can make a positive impact on the fight against climate change; and
WHEREAS, Earth Hour 2016 was celebrated in a record breaking 178 countries and territories across seven continents and aboard the International Space Station when lights were switched off for 60 minutes, serving as a strong visual reminder of the globe’s determination to tackle our planet’s biggest environmental challenge; and
WHEREAS, 2016 Earth Hour celebrations were observed by the dimming of lights at more than 10,400 landmarks and buildings worldwide, including the Sydney Opera House, the Eiffel Tower, the Pantheon in Greece, the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben in London, the Empire State Building, Times Square, the “Bird’s Nest” stadium in Beijing, and the Grand Palace in Bangkok; and
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul has celebrated Earth Hour since 2010 with a growing number of participants each year; and
WHEREAS, businesses, organizations and individuals throughout the city will participate in this year's Earth Hour by dimming lights and otherwise demonstrating support in the following buildings and locations:
Saint Paul City Hall/Ramsey County Court House
Landmark Center
First National Bank Building
Wells Fargo Place
Ecolab (370 Wabasha & 1 Ecolab Place)
Minnesota Children’s Museum
375 Jackson building
Xcel Center/RiverCentre/Minnesota Wild
Park Square Court Building
George Latimer Central Library
Ramsey County Libraries
Town Square
Rice Park
North Suburban Courts
Science Museum of Minnesota
Ramsey County Sheriff Patrol Station
Ramsey County Public Works Facility
Saint Paul-Ramsey County Public Health Building
Ramsey County Government Center East; and
WHEREAS, since approximately one-third of greenhouse gas emissions comes from electricity, it is vitally important to decrease our reliance on electricity and non-essential lighting; and
WHEREAS, significant improvement requires going Beyond the Hour and making permanent, long-term improvements in our day-to-day lives; and
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul has shown its commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by installing photovoltaic (solar electric) panels on the RiverCentre Parking Ramp, Rondo Library, West Team Police Station, Public Works Garage, South St. Anthony Recreation Center and Science Museum of Minnesota; installing solar thermal (hot water) panels on the RiverCentre and Como Pool; retrofitting 100 City-owned buildings with efficient lighting and energy management systems; installing electric vehicle charging stations and purchasing electric vehicles; promoting biking by installing bike trails and bike lanes on streets, encouraging the use of Nice Ride bike sharing program in the city, and developing a bikeways plan; adopting the Sustainable Saint Paul Building Policy for construction projects; making zero-percent interest loans to homeowners to make energy efficient improvements to their homes; and supporting the planning and development of the Green Line light rail project; and
WHEREAS, as part of the Compact of Mayors (RES 15-2093), the City completed a greenhouse gas inventory and determined that the city emitted a total of 3.9 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2015 with energy consumed by commercial (35%) and residential (17%) buildings accounting for 52% of total emissions; and
WHEREAS, the City of Saint Paul Earth Hour web page (https://www.stpaul.gov/news/earth-hour) provides helpful information to residents and businesses about how to save energy, save money and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, as well as pictures from previous years’ events; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, the Saint Paul City Council hereby proclaims, March 25, 2017 from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. as Earth Hour in the City of Saint Paul, calling upon all Saint Paul residents, businesses, non-profit organizations, units of government, and houses of worship to turn off nonessential lights to support the aims and goals of this local and international effort.