Find Earth Hour In Your Country
MEDIA RELEASE: 16 MARCH 2012 With two weeks to go until Earth Hour, the world's largest voluntary action for the environment, top celebrity chefs from around the globe are lending their support to the Earth Hour campaign, inspiring better food choices for a better planet.
Earth Hour food ambassadors from around the world are encouraging consumers to make three direct changes that will result in a positive impact on the environment – eating less meat, sourcing sustainable seafood and using more local produce.
Celebrity chef Bill Granger has been announced as an Earth Hour Australia ambassador for 2012, saying, “WWF's Earth Hour is a unique event that celebrates the wonder of the natural world and getting involved should be a must for all those who love food."
This year WWF–UK has been working on tackling the challenge of eating in a way that’s good for us and good for the planet. Their Livewell 2020 report found that 30% of the UK’s CO2 emissions come from food production alone. As a result, a host of Britain’s best celebrity chefs have slaved over a hot stove to put the Livewell principles into practice. BBC presenter Ching-He Huang has put together a range of films for WWF-UK, showcasing a range of delicious but simple Chinese recipes to cook up for Earth Hour.
Huang says, “I'm passionate about showing people how easy it is to cook Chinese food, so I was delighted to be asked to take part in WWF’s Earth Hour this year to help showcase food that is good for you and good for the planet too. It’s amazing to think that people all over the world will be switching off their lights together – everyone should do it.”
With even more Earth Hour recipes ideas from the likes of Rick Stein, Bryn Williams, Niall McKenna, Rachel De Thample, Ken Hom and Valentine Warner, there’s plenty of sustainable food ideas on offer to celebrate this year’s event.
German sustainable cuisine chef Sarah Wiener is using her own three course recipe in ‘The Earth Hour Dinner’ publication to inspire people to make their own creations from local sourced produce.
Wiener says, “It is better to use seasonal produce that doesn't have to be flown in from distant countries or have to be cultivated in a greenhouse with a high amount of energy input.”
Executive Director and Co-Founder of Earth Hour, Andy Ridley says there is a deep connection between what we eat and how we treat the planet we live on. "Sustainability is not about eating cold beans, but it is about retaining sustainable food practices and reducing our consumption of carbon intensive food sources. These world class chefs are showing how great food can be good for the planet."
Chefs from across the world are also using Earth Hour’s global I Will If You Will campaign to put up some food friendly dares to the public.
Food and Wine writer for TreeHugger, Jerry James Stone has pledged to eat vegan for a month if 5000 of his fans do it for a week.
Stone says, “As a vegetarian of twenty-some years, I have always been a little vegan-curious. I mean, who isn't these days. But the thought of giving up Gouda cheese or honey has always made me act out violently. But our food system is in peril. It's undeniable. So if 1,000 people are willing to give up Gouda for a spell, so should I.”
With 53% of the world’s fisheries are fully exploited, and 32% are overexploited, depleted, or recovering from depletion *, sustainable fishing is what’s hot on the menu for Earth Hour’s I Will If You Will challenges.
South African filmmaker, celebrity cook, and author Justin Bonello has pledged to recycle his rain, bath & dish water for use in his garden if 1000 people choose WWFSASSI green listed fish.
"Most people know that I'm passionate about encouraging people to make ethical and sustainable food choices, but that same conscious consumption mind-set should also extend to our homes,” says Bonello.
Earth Hour has grown from a one-city initiative in 2007, to a 5,251 city strong global movement, last year reaching 1.8 billion people in 135 countries across all seven continents.
Earth Hour 2012 will take place at 8.30pm – 9.30pm on Saturday 31 March
*According to State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA) - SOFIA 2010
Media Contact:
Rebecca George, Earth Hour Global, Rebecca@earthhour.org +61 421 988 035
Benjamin Vozzo, Earth Hour Global, Benjamin@earthhour.org +61 415 194 219
About Earth
Hour Earth Hour is a global environmental initiative in partnership with WWF and Leo Burnett. Individuals, businesses, governments and communities are invited to turn out their lights for one hour on Saturday March 31, 2012 at 8:30 PM to show their support for environmentally sustainable action. In 2012, Earth Hour’s I Will If You Will concept invites individuals and organisations to challenge others to an ongoing environmental commitment beyond the hour. Earth Hour began in one city in 2007 and by 2011 reached over 1.8 billion people in 135 countries across every continent, receiving reports as ‘the World’s largest campaign for the planet’.
About WWF
WWF is one of the world’s largest and most respected independent conservation organisations, with almost five million supporters and a global network active in more than 100 countries. WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the earth’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world’s biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.
