89-461: Earth Hour is a worldwide movement organized by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). The event is held annually, encouraging the individuals, communities, and businesses to give an hour for Earth, and additionally marked by landmarks and businesses switching off non-essential electric lights, for one hour from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m., usually on the last Saturday of March, as a symbol of commitment to
178-763: A 12-year-old girl who was collecting tree bark in Bardiya National Park . Park and WWF officials allegedly obstructed investigations in these cases, by "falsifying and destroying evidence, falsely claiming the victims were poachers, and pressuring the families of the victims to withdraw criminal complaints". In July 2019, Buzzfeed reported that a leaked report by the WWF accused guards of beating and raping women including pregnant women while torturing men by tying their penises with fishing lines. The investigations were cut short after paramilitary groups threatened investigators with death. The investigators accused WWF of covering up
267-668: A 1994 agreement regarding international use of the WWF initials. On 10 August 2001, a UK court ruled in favour of the World Wide Fund for Nature. The World Wrestling Federation filed an appeal in October 2001, but later withdrew their appeal. On 5 May 2002, the World Wrestling Federation changed its Web address from WWF.com to WWE.com , and replaced every "WWF" reference on the existing site with "WWE", officially announcing their name change to "World Wrestling Entertainment"
356-436: A 2.4% reduction in demand compared to before the hour began. The best result was from Christchurch , New Zealand, with the city reporting a drop of 13% in electricity demand. However, national grid operator Transpower reported that New Zealand's power consumption during Earth Hour was 335 megawatts, higher than the 328 megawatt average of the previous two Saturdays. Melbourne , Australia reduced demand by 10.1%. Sydney, being
445-570: A bestseller in Germany, but was banned from Britain until 2014, when it was released under the title of PandaLeaks – The Dark Side of the WWF , after a series of injunctions and court orders. The book criticizes WWF for its involvement with corporations that are responsible for large-scale destruction of the environment, such as Coca-Cola, and gives details into the existence of the secret 1001 Club , whose members, Huismann claims, continue to have an unhealthy influence on WWF's policy making. WWF has denied
534-647: A case study on WWF called "Negotiating Toward the Paris Accords: WWF & the Role of Forests in the 2015 Climate Agreement": In 2023, Prof. Adil Najam , a globally renowned climate scientist and policy expert from Pakistan, was appointed as the President of WWF International signifying the growing importance on climate change as well as of human well-being in the WWF agenda. In 1947 the Conservation Foundation
623-400: A day later with a "Get the 'F' Out" marketing campaign. The company's stock ticker also switched from WWF to WWE shortly after. The wrestling organization's abandonment of "WWF" initialism did not end the two organizations' legal conflict. Later in 2002, the World Wide Fund for Nature petitioned the court for $ 360 million in damages, but was not successful. A subsequent request to overturn by
712-540: A distorted picture of false statements, defamations and exaggerations, but we will accept that as expressions of opinion." (Translated from the original German: " ein Zerrbild aus falschen Aussagen, Diffamierungen und Übertreibungen, aber das werden wir als Meinungsäußerungen hinnehmen. ") In 2014, Huismann published a revised edition of his 2012 book, originally called The Silence of the Pandas . The original edition had become
801-473: A four day sit-in protest carried out by members of Extinction Rebellion 's XR Youth Solidarity Network at WWF-UK's headquarters in September 2021. In 2000, the World Wide Fund for Nature sued the World Wrestling Federation (now named WWE ) for unfair trade practices. Both parties had shared the initials "WWF" since 1979. The conservation organization claimed that the professional wrestling company had violated
890-615: A greater impact for the lights-off event. It was also changed to avoid coinciding with the Christian Holy Saturday, which fell on March 30 of that year. In 2013, the world's first Earth Hour Forest began in Uganda, an ongoing project that aims to restore 2700 hectares of degraded land. Standard Chartered Bank-Uganda pledged to help fill the forest with more than 250,000 trees. Earth Hour commemorations in Madagascar had as their highlight
979-443: A growth in the engagement of those religions with conservation around the world. In the 1990s, WWF revised its mission statement to: Stop the degradation of the planet's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, WWF researchers and many others identified 238 ecoregions that represent the world's most biologically outstanding terrestrial , freshwater and marine habitats, based on
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#17328524785911068-464: A large number of different groups to achieve its goals, including other NGOs, governments, business, investment banks, scientists, fishermen, farmers and local communities. It also undertakes public campaigns to influence decision makers, and seeks to educate people on how to live in a more environmentally friendly manner. It urges people to donate funds to protect the environment. The donors can also choose to receive gifts in return. In October 2020, WWF
1157-464: A large scale switch off was coined and developed in 2006, originally under the working title "The Big Flick". WWF Australia presented their concept to Fairfax Media who, along with Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore , agreed to back the event. The 2007 Earth Hour was held on March 31 in Sydney, Australia at 7:30 pm, local time. In October 2007, San Francisco ran its own "Lights Out" program inspired by
1246-740: A million households out of the total 4.5 million households in Sweden. According to the National Power Dispatch Centre, Vietnam 's electricity demand fell 140 MWh during Earth Hour. Earth Hour 2010 was held from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. local time on March 27. In Israel, the hour was held on April 22. 126 countries participated in Earth Hour 2010. In the United States polling showed that an estimated 90,000,000 Americans participated in Earth Hour as lights were turned off around
1335-570: A panda named Chi Chi that had been transferred from Beijing Zoo to London Zoo in 1958, three years before WWF was established. Being famous as the only panda residing in the Western world at that time, her uniquely recognisable physical features and status as an endangered species were seen as ideal to serve the organization's need for a strong recognisable symbol that would overcome all language barriers. The organization also needed an animal that would have an impact in black and white printing. The logo
1424-568: A person who had had thirty years experience of linking progressive intellectuals with big business interests through the Political and Economic Planning think tank . Nicholson thought up the name of the organization and the original panda logo was designed by Sir Peter Scott . WWF was conceived on 29 April 1961, under the name of World Wildlife Fund . Its first office was opened on 11 September in IUCN 's headquarters at Morges , Switzerland. The WWF
1513-476: A small plus symbol to the right of the signature "60" which was used in previous years. The 60+ symbol continues to be the main logo used by campaign organizers around the world. Earth Hour 2011 took place in a record 5,251 cities and towns in 135 countries and territories on all seven continents. It had an estimated reach of 1.8 billion people across the globe. In addition to this, the campaign's digital footprint grew to 91 million. In India , Earth Hour 2011
1602-493: A sort of 'war room' at the international headquarters of conservation, showing where the danger spots are and making it possible to ensure that their needs are met before it is too late. Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld helped to found the WWF, becoming its first president in 1961. In 1963, the Foundation held a conference and published a major report warning of anthropogenic global warming , written by Noel Eichhorn based on
1691-624: A trafficked, endangered pangolin at a hotel in Gabon. There is often no penalty to social media accounts for cruelty to animals on social media platforms. The organization also regularly publishes reports, fact sheets and other documents on issues related to its work, to raise awareness and provide information to policy and decision makers. From 1997 to 2007, the WWF's China office conducted its Environmental Educators' Initiative, which trained thousands of teachers, established environmental education training centers at teachers' universities, and influenced
1780-474: A worldwide biodiversity analysis which the organization says was the first of its kind. In the early 2000s (decade), its work was focused on a subset of these ecoregions, in the areas of forest, freshwater and marine habitat conservation , endangered species conservation, climate change, and the elimination of the most toxic chemicals. We shan't save all we should like to, but we shall save a great deal more than if we had never tried. Harvard University published
1869-457: Is a foundation with 65% of funding from individuals and bequests, 17% from government sources (such as the World Bank , DFID , and USAID ) and 8% from corporations in 2020. WWF aims to "stop the degradation of the planet's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature." The Living Planet Report has been published every two years by WWF since 1998; it
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#17328524785911958-469: Is based on a Living Planet Index and ecological footprint calculation. In addition, WWF has launched several notable worldwide campaigns, including Earth Hour and Debt-for-nature swap , and its current work is organized around these six areas: food, climate, freshwater, wildlife, forests, and oceans. WWF has faced criticism for its corporate ties and for supporting conservation measures that have resulted in violent conflict with local people. WWF
2047-496: Is built to 400 kV but operates at 220 kV), and this is supplemented by 4,719 kilometres (2,932 mi) of 110 kV transmission lines and 797 kilometres (495 mi) of 66 kV and 50 kV transmission lines, which interconnect the core grid to smaller load centres and power stations. Transpower also owns and operates the HVDC Inter-Island , a 611-kilometre (380 mi) ±350 kV high-voltage direct current link between
2136-496: Is no longer permitted to use WWF initials or logo in any new, original footage, packaging, or advertising, with any old-school logos for retro-themed programming now using a modification of the original WWF logo without the F. In June 2009, Touch Seang Tana, chairman of Cambodia's Commission for Conservation and Development of the Mekong River Dolphins Eco-tourism Zone, argued that the WWF had misrepresented
2225-591: Is part of the Steering Group of the Foundations Platform F20, an international network of foundations and philanthropic organizations. The idea for a fund on behalf of endangered animals was officially proposed by Victor Stolan to Sir Julian Huxley in response to articles he published in the British newspaper The Observer . This proposal led Huxley to put Stolan in contact with Edward Max Nicholson ,
2314-483: Is required to maintain a continuous (second-by-second) balance between electricity supply from power stations and demand from consumers, and also ensure the provision of reserves that will allow for sudden contingencies. The system operator achieves this by determining the optimal combination of generating stations and reserve providers for each market trading period, instructing generators when and how much electricity to generate, and managing any contingent events that cause
2403-531: The Forbidden City . Earth Hour 2011 was the biggest year in the campaign's five-year history, reaffirming it as the largest ever voluntary action for the environment. In 2011, the tagline "Beyond the Hour" was adopted by organizers as a way to encourage people to take their commitment to the cause beyond the 60-minute event. Together with agency Leo Burnett, Earth Hour unveiled an updated planet themed logo that included
2492-601: The Index is used to produce a bi-yearly Living Planet Report giving an overview of the impact of human activity on the world. In 2019, WWF and Knorr jointly published the Future 50 Foods report identifying "50 Foods for Healthier People and a Healthier Planet". In 2018, WWF, TRAFFIC and IFAW launched the Coalition to End Wildlife Trafficking Online with 21 tech companies. In 2017, Instagram accounts, Sal Lavallo and Jessica Nabongo ate
2581-525: The New Zealand electricity market . As the owner of the National Grid it provides the infrastructure of electric power transmission that allows consumers to have access to generation from a wide range of sources, and enables competition in the wholesale electricity market; as system operator it manages the real-time operation of the grid and the physical operation of the electricity market. Transpower
2670-554: The Crown Ownership Monitoring Unit) monitors the performance of Transpower on behalf of the shareholding ministers. The New Zealand national grid provides the means of transporting bulk electricity from where it is generated (by companies like Meridian Energy and Mercury Energy ) to cities, towns and some major industrial users like the Tiwai Point Aluminium Smelter . Most of the electricity from
2759-663: The Earth Hour, had an early "earth hour" when power was accidentally interrupted, plunging Metro Manila and nearby provinces into darkness. After power was restored, major buildings, commercial centers and residential areas in Metro Manila and most provinces continued to turn off their lights, while participating channels in the Philippines, ABS-CBN, Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network halted their transmissions for an hour. Thirty provinces and cities in Vietnam took part in Earth Hour 2011 with
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2848-404: The Philippines who turned on their lights to elevate the message of using renewable energy. The island's source of electricity is a mini-hydro power plant. World Wide Fund for Nature The World Wide Fund for Nature ( WWF ) is a Swiss-based international non-governmental organization founded in 1961 that works in the field of wilderness preservation and the reduction of human impact on
2937-490: The Sydney Earth Hour. After their successful event in October, the organizers decided to rally behind the Earth Hour being planned for March 2008. Earth Hour 2008 was held internationally on March 29, 2008, from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. local time, marking the first anniversary of the event. Thirty five countries around the world participated as official flagship cities and over 400 cities also supported. Landmarks around
3026-569: The United States and Canada. 1986 was the 25th anniversary of WWF's foundation, an event marked by a gathering in Assisi, Italy to which the organization's International President Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, invited religious authorities representing Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism. These leaders produced The Assisi Declarations, theological statements showing the spiritual relationship between their followers and nature that triggered
3115-471: The World Wide Fund for Nature was dismissed by the British Court of Appeal on 28 June 2007. In 2003, World Wrestling Entertainment won a limited decision which permitted them to continue marketing certain pre-existing products with the abandoned WWF logo. However, WWE was mandated to issue newly branded merchandise such as apparel, action figures, video games, and DVDs with the "WWE" initials. Additionally,
3204-466: The allegations made against it. WWF has been accused by the campaigner Corporate Watch of being too close to business to campaign objectively. WWF claims partnering with corporations such as Coca-Cola , Lafarge , Carlos Slim 's and IKEA will reduce their effect on the environment. WWF received €56 million (US$ 80 million) from corporations in 2010 (an 8% increase in support from corporations compared to 2009), accounting for 11% of total revenue for
3293-656: The balance between supply and demand to be disrupted. System operations staff undertake this work using sophisticated energy modelling and communications systems. In addition to its roles of real-time dispatch of generation and managing security, the system operator also carries out investigations and planning to ensure that supply can meet demand and system security can be maintained during future trading periods. Examples of planning work may include co-ordinating generator and transmission outages, facilitating commissioning of new generating plant and procuring ancillary services to support power system operation. The system operator service
3382-407: The biggest growth year for the campaign since 2009. It was also the first year that Earth Hour was celebrated in space, with Dutch astronaut André Kuipers tweeting at various moments during the event's trek around the globe. Earth Hour 2013 was held across the world on Saturday, March 23 at 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. local time to avoid taking place after European Summer Time began, ensuring
3471-399: The city that participated in both the 2007 and 2008 Earth Hours, cut electricity consumption by 8.4%. This is less than the previous year's 10.2%; however, Earth Hour executive director Andy Ridley made the claim that after factoring margin of error , the participation in this city was the same. The worst result was from Calgary , Canada. The city's power consumption actually went up 3.6% at
3560-602: The collective effort of individuals around the world getting together to help fund or add their voice to support on-the-ground environmental and social projects that deliver real outcomes." The Earth Hour 2014 Report highlighted a broad range of environmental outcomes achieved by the movement across 162 countries and territories around the world. More than US$ 60,000 was raised on the Earth Hour Blue platform for grassroots environmental projects run by WWF. The movement also saw campaigns to help protect Australia's Great Barrier Reef,
3649-531: The commission before publishing another report. Criticism of the validity of reports critical of government action or inaction, where 'approval' has not been sought before publication, is common in Cambodia. Transpower New Zealand Limited Transpower New Zealand Limited ( TPNZ ) is the state-owned enterprise responsible for electric power transmission in New Zealand. It performs two major functions in
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3738-858: The country, including landmarks such as Mount Rushmore , the Las Vegas Strip , the Empire State Building and Niagara Falls . Some cities and landmarks took the opportunity to make more long-term adjustments to their everyday power consumption. In Chicago , the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) developed lighting guidelines to reduce light pollution and reduce the carbon footprint of downtown buildings. Mount Rushmore in South Dakota started powering down each night around 9 p.m. instead of 11 p.m. In Vietnam , electricity demand fell 500,000 kWh during Earth Hour 2010, which
3827-513: The court order required the company to remove both auditory and visual references to "WWF" in its library of video footage outside the United Kingdom. Starting with the 1,000th episode of Raw in July 2012, the WWF "scratch" logo is no longer censored in archival footage. In addition, the WWF initials are no longer censored when spoken or when written in plain text in archival footage. In exchange, WWE
3916-601: The crimes. Releasing an official statement, the WWF claimed that the report was not made public to ensure the safety of the victims and that the guards were suspended and are awaiting prosecution. However Buzzfeed accused the WWF of attempting to withhold the report to the US congressional committee investigating the human rights violations by providing highly redacted versions instead. In the Central African Republic, WWF officials were reportedly involved in an arms deal, where
4005-455: The current forest legislation. The petition reached more than 127,000 signatures before the Earth Hour event, ensuring the legislation was debated in the State Duma by politicians. Earth Hour 2014 took place on Saturday, March 29, during the same 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. local timeslot. Earth Hour Blue was launched as a global crowdfunding and crowdsourcing platform for the planet. "It is all about
4094-748: The danger of extinction of the Mekong dolphin to boost fundraising. The report stated that the deaths were caused by a bacterial disease that became fatal due to environmental contaminants suppressing the dolphins' immune systems. He called the report unscientific and harmful to the Cambodian government and threatened WWF's Cambodian branch with suspension unless they met with him to discuss his claims. Touch Seang Tana later said he would not press charges of supplying false information and would not make any attempt to prevent WWF from continuing its work in Cambodia, but advised WWF to adequately explain its findings and check with
4183-678: The distribution of one thousand wood-saving stoves to victims of the cyclone Haruna in the southern town of Toliara, extensively damaged in the February 22 storm. WWF-Madagascar and ADES (Association pour le Développement de l'Energie Solaire) distributed an additional 2,200 wood-saving stoves later that year. Former President of Botswana , Festus Mogae promised to plant one million indigenous trees over four years, as part of his "I Will If You Will" challenge for Earth 2013. WWF-Russia launched its 2013 campaign aiming to secure more than 100,000 signatures from Russian citizens to petition for amendments to
4272-487: The drafting of the Ministry of Education 's 2003 guidelines for public school environmental education. The German public television ARD aired a documentary on 22 June 2011 that claimed to show how the WWF cooperates with corporations such as Monsanto , providing sustainability certification in exchange for donations – essentially greenwashing . WWF has denied the allegations. By encouraging high-impact eco-tourism,
4361-484: The environment . It was formerly named the World Wildlife Fund , which remains its official name in Canada and the United States. WWF is the world's largest conservation organization , with over five million supporters worldwide, working in more than 100 countries and supporting around 3,000 conservation and environmental projects. They have invested over $ 1 billion in more than 12,000 conservation initiatives since 1995. WWF
4450-541: The event (73 percent pre-event versus 77 percent post-event). Tel Aviv scheduled their Earth Hour for Thursday March 27, 2008 to avoid conflict with Sabbath . Dublin moved their Earth Hour to between 9 and 10 p.m. due to their northern geographical location. According to WWF Thailand, Bangkok decreased electricity usage by 73.34 megawatts , which, over one hour , is equivalent to 41.6 tonnes of carbon dioxide . The Bangkok Post gave different figures of 165 megawatt-hours and 102 tonnes of carbon dioxide. This
4539-441: The event is not about the reduction in electricity, a number of public institutions reported on electricity savings in their cities to see participation numbers. The Canadian province of Ontario , excluding the city of Toronto , saw a decrease of 6% in electricity usage while Toronto saw a decrease of 15.1% (nearly doubled from 8.7% the previous year) as many businesses darkened, including the landmark CN Tower . The Philippines
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#17328524785914628-596: The hour in 2010 and 2011 (1% or less) and in 2012 and 2013 showed no appreciable change in power usage at all. Earth Hour 2009 was from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. local time, March 28, 2009. The campaign was titled "Vote Earth" and was dubbed "the world's first global vote" with one billion votes was the stated aim for Earth Hour 2009, in the context of the pivotal 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference . WWF reported that 88 countries and 4,159 cities participated in Earth Hour 2009, ten times more cities than Earth Hour 2008 had (2008 saw 400 cities participate). Among
4717-436: The hour's peak electricity demand. Calgary's weather plays a large role in power consumption, and the city experienced weather 12 °C (around 22 °F) colder than the previous Saturday's recorded temperature in the inaugural year. Enmax , the city's power supplier, has confirmed that in all subsequent years, Calgarians have not supported the Earth Hour initiative, noting that power consumption changed only marginally during
4806-436: The investigations, WWF stated that it takes any allegations seriously and would be launching an independent review into the cases raised. The organisation stated it has stringent policies designed to ensure it and its partners are safeguarding the rights and well-being of indigenous peoples and local communities, and should the review uncover any breaches, it is committed to taking swift action. These accusations were central to
4895-603: The launch of a Blue Sky App in China, and the delivery of thousands of wood efficient stoves to communities in Madagascar. Earth Hour 2015 took place on Saturday, March 28, again between 8:30 and 9:30 p.m. local time. The tagline for the global campaign was "Change Climate Change", returning to the movement's original focus to initiate citizen action on global warming. A day before the event, over 170 countries and territories had confirmed their participation; with more than 1200 landmarks and close to 40 UNESCO world heritage sites set for
4984-419: The least co-operative areas traditionally has been Alberta ; in 2008, Calgary's power consumption went up during Earth Hour. The trend continued in 2011 when Edmonton 's power usage also increased. While Calgary 's power usage went down in 2011 during the event, electricity officials could not distinguish their readings between normal usage and a conscious attempt to participate. Earth Hour Global headquarters
5073-453: The logo. Policies of the WWF are made by board members elected for three-year terms. An Executive Team guides and develops WWF's strategy. There is also a National Council which stands as an advisory group to the board and a team of scientists and experts in conservation who research for WWF. National and international law plays an important role in determining how habitats and resources are managed and used. Laws and regulations become one of
5162-466: The main event held in Nha Trang . The nation's electricity demand fell 400,000 kWh, one-fifth less than the previous year's. Vietnam managed to save 500 million VND (US$ 23,809) thanks to the saved power. YouTube promoted the Earth Hour by changing its logo, and by adding a switch on/off feature near the title of each video, so that users could change the background colour from white to black. One of
5251-435: The national grid is delivered to New Zealand's homes and businesses by electricity distribution companies like Vector and Orion . A few large industrial users are directly connected to the national grid. Transpower owns and operates 11,806 kilometres (7,336 mi) of transmission lines. A core network consisting of 5,719 kilometres (3,554 mi) (route) of 220 kV transmission lines exist in each island ( one line
5340-628: The organization paid for 15 Kalashnikov assault rifles and ammunition; but part of the money went unaccounted for and they were apparently defrauded by the CAR army representatives selling the weapons. The Kathmandu Post , which cooperated with BuzzFeed News on the investigations in Nepal, claimed there was intense lobbying and political pressure to release WWF-funded rangers arrested for murder. They interviewed activists who claimed they were promised donations for pressuring victims of abuse to drop charges against
5429-621: The organization's global priorities. The WWF has been opposed to the extraction of oil from the Canadian tar sands and has campaigned on this matter. Between 2008 and 2010 the WWF worked with The Co-operative Group , the UK's largest consumer co-operative to publish reports which concluded that: (1) exploiting the Canadian tar sands to their full potential would be sufficient to bring about what they described as 'runaway climate change; (2) carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology cannot be used to reduce
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#17328524785915518-733: The participants in 2009 was, for the first time, the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. In Egypt, the lights went out on the Sphinx and the Great Pyramids of Giza from 8:30 to 9:30 pm. The Philippines saw participation from 647 cities and towns; over 10 million Filipinos were estimated to have joined in the hour-long lights-off. This was followed by Greece with 484 cities and towns participating, and Australia with 309. Despite official organizers WWF stating that
5607-413: The paths being reset either every four or five years. Quality targets for the transmission service are also reviewed and monitored in the regulatory process. The role of the system operator is to manage the security of the power system in real time and co-ordinate the supply of and demand for electricity, in a manner that avoids fluctuations in frequency or interruptions of supply. The system operator
5696-459: The planet. It was started as a lights-off event in Sydney , Australia, in 2007. Occasionally, in years when Holy Saturday falls on the last Saturday of March (as in 2024), Earth Hour is held a week earlier. In 2004, confronted with scientific findings, WWF Australia met with advertising agency Leo Burnett Sydney to "discuss ideas for engaging Australians on the issue of climate change". The idea of
5785-399: The preservation of biological diversity , sustainable use of natural resources , the reduction of pollution , and climate change . The organization also began to run its own conservation projects and campaigns. In 1986, the organization changed its name to World Wide Fund for Nature , while retaining the WWF initials. However, it continued at that time to operate under the original name in
5874-494: The program alleges that WWF contributes to the destruction of habitat and species it claims to protect while also harming indigenous peoples. The filmmaker, German investigative journalist Wilfried Huismann , was sued by the WWF over his documentary and the book Schwarzbuch WWF published in 2012, which was based on the documentary. In an out of court settlement, he agreed to remove or revise certain claims. Speaking on behalf of WWF Germany, Marco Vollmar indicated "[Huismann] draws
5963-655: The protection of biodiversity and natural resources. In 2012, David Nussbaum, Chief Executive of WWF-UK, spoke out against the way shale gas is used in the UK, saying: "... the Government must reaffirm its commitment to tackling climate change and prioritise renewables and energy efficiency." The organisation works on a number of global issues driving biodiversity loss and unsustainable use of natural resources, including species conservation, finance, business practices, laws, and consumption choices. Local offices also work on national or regional issues. WWF works with
6052-521: The rangers ignored wildlife trafficking networks. In 2019, an investigation by BuzzFeed News alleged that paramilitary groups funded by the organisation are engaged in serious human rights abuses against villagers, and the organisation has covered up the incidents and acted to protect the perpetrators from law enforcement. These armed groups were claimed to torture, sexually assault, and execute villagers based on false accusations. In one instance found by BuzzFeed News investigators, an 11-year-old boy
6141-688: The rangers. When the local Tharu community protested, WWF officials carried out a counter-protest in favour of the accused and used park elephants to block Prithvi Highway . An investigation by Rainforest Foundation UK found evidence of widespread physical and sexual assault by 'eco-guards' employed by the Salonga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo funded by WWF. These include two cases of gang rape, two extrajudicial killings, and multiple accounts of torture and other forms of mistreatment committed by park guards. In reply to
6230-739: The release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere to a level comparable to that of other methods of oil extraction; (3) the $ 379 billion which is expected to be spent extracting oil from tar sands could be better spent on research and development in renewable energy technology; and (4) the expansion of tar sands extraction poses a serious threat to the caribou in Alberta . The organization convinces and helps governments and other political bodies to adopt, enforce, strengthen and/or change policies, guidelines and laws that affect biodiversity and natural resource use. It also ensures government consent and/or keeps their commitment to international instruments relating to
6319-419: The switch off. For the second year running, Earth Hour Blue aims to raise funds for WWF organized climate focused projects on a crowdfunding platform. This year, crowdfunding projects include solar light distribution in the Philippines and India, and wildlife based projects from Colombia, Uganda and Indonesia. Uniquely participating in the Earth Hour activity are the inhabitants of an island called Sibuyan in
6408-478: The three-hour period between 6:30 p.m. and 9:30 pm, there was a reduction of 50 megawatts, saving 150 megawatt-hours, or approximately 60 tonnes of carbon dioxide. In Dubai , where external lighting on several major city landmarks was turned off and street lighting in selected areas was dimmed by 50%, the Electricity and Water Authority reported savings of 100 megawatt-hours of electricity. This represented
6497-465: The trust. Prince Bernhard resigned his post after being involved in the Lockheed bribery scandals . The WWF has set up offices and operations around the world. It originally worked by fundraising and providing grants to existing non-governmental organizations with an initial focus on the protection of endangered species . As more resources became available, its operations expanded into other areas such as
6586-615: The two islands. There are 178 electrical substations , containing 1116 transformers with a total capacity of 14,500 MVA. The revenue that Transpower receives for the provision of the transmission service is regulated by the Commerce Commission , under Part IV of the Commerce Act. The type of regulation is individual price-quality path (IPP) regulation, and came into effect on 1 April 2011. The individual price-quality path governs Transpower's revenues for each pricing year, with
6675-442: The work of Frank Fraser Darling (then foundation vice president), Edward Deevey , Erik Eriksson, Charles Keeling , Gilbert Plass , Lionel Walford , and William Garnett . In 1970, along with Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh , and a few associates, Bernhard established the WWF's financial endowment The 1001: A Nature Trust to handle the organization's administration and fundraising. 1001 members each contributed $ 10,000 to
6764-481: The world turned off their non-essential lighting for Earth Hour. Some websites took part in the event, with Google 's homepage going "dark" on the day. According to a Zogby International online survey, 36 million Americans—approximately 16% of the United States adult population—participated in Earth Hour 2008. The survey also showed there was a 4 percentage point increase in the level of interest in environmental issues such as climate change and pollution directly after
6853-597: The year. For their 2019 fiscal year, WWF reported 4% of their total operating revenue coming from corporations. In 2017, a report by Survival International claimed that WWF-funded paramilitaries are not only committing abuses against the indigenous Baka and Bayaka in the Congo Basin , who "face harassment and beatings, torture and death", but are also corrupt and aid in the destruction of conserved areas. The report accused WWF and its guards of partnering with several logging companies who carried out deforestation , while
6942-426: Was able to save 611 MWh of electricity during the time period, which is said to be equivalent to shutting down a dozen coal-fired power plants for an hour. Swedish electricity operator Svenska Kraftnät recorded a 2.1% decrease in power consumption from its projected figure between 8 p.m. and 9 pm. The following hour, the corresponding number was 5%. This is equivalent to the consumption of approximately half
7031-427: Was allegedly tortured by WWF-funded rangers in front of his parents; WWF ignored all complaints against the rangers. In another incident, a ranger attempted to rape a Tharu woman and, when she resisted, attacked her with bamboo stick until she lost consciousness. While the ranger was arrested, the woman was pressured not to press charges, resulting in the ranger going free. In 2010, WWF-sponsored rangers reportedly killed
7120-1024: Was conceived to act as an international fundraising organisation to support the work of existing conservation groups, primarily the International Union for Conservation of Nature . Its establishment was marked with the signing of the Morges Manifesto , the founding document that sets out the fund's commitment to assisting worthy organizations struggling to save the world's wildlife: They need above all money, to carry out mercy missions and to meet conservation emergencies by buying land where wildlife treasures are threatened, and in many other ways. Money, for example, to pay guardians of wildlife refuges .... Money for education and propaganda among those who would care and help if only they understood. Money to send out experts to danger spots and to train more local wardens and helpers in Africa and elsewhere. Money to maintain
7209-452: Was experienced at 8:14 p.m. in Metro Manila and of around 116 MW at 8:34 p.m. in the Luzon grid. Ontario used approximately 900 megawatt-hours less electrical energy during Earth Hour. At one point, Toronto saw an 8.7% reduction in consumption as compared to a typical March Saturday night. Ireland, as a whole, had a reduction in electricity use of about 1.5% for the evening. In
7298-578: Was formed in New York City by Fairfield Osborn . It arranged funding for scientific research into global conservation issues. It did not lobby or engage in politics. In 1985 it became an affiliate of the WWF. In 1990, it completely merged into WWF. The organization now known as the Conservation Foundation in the United States is the former Forest Foundation of DuPage County. In 1996, the organization obtained general consultative status from UNESCO . WWF's giant panda logo originated from
7387-553: Was held on March 26, 2011, from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 pm. IST, flagged off by the Chief Minister of Delhi Sheila Dikshit and Earth Hour 2011 Ambassador and Bollywood actress Vidya Balan in the presence of Jim Leape, Director General, WWF International. Rosebowl channel suspended broadcasting from 8.30 p.m. to 9.30 p.m. to mark the observance of Earth Hour. In Azerbaijan, Maiden Tower darkened for Earth Hour. The Philippines, which has been an active participant of
7476-515: Was initially formed as an operating division of the Electricity Corporation of New Zealand (ECNZ) in 1987. In 1994 it was separated from ECNZ and corporatised to become a state-owned enterprise with its own board of directors and ministerial shareholders, the Minister of Finance and the Minister of State-Owned Enterprises. The New Zealand Treasury 's Commercial Operations group (formerly
7565-416: Was moving from Sydney to Singapore in February 2012. A launch event took place at ION Orchard on February 20, with the move supported by Singapore's Economic Development Board (EDB) and WWF-Singapore. Earth Hour 2012 was observed on March 31, 2012, from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. (participants' local time). It took place in more than 7000 cities and towns across 152 countries and territories, making it
7654-523: Was named as one of the alliance partner's of Prince William 's Earthshot Prize, to find solutions to environmental issues. In March 2021, WWF announced an extension of their partnership with H&M to address sustainable supply chain practices. WWF publishes the Living Planet Index in collaboration with the Zoological Society of London . Along with ecological footprint calculations,
7743-505: Was noted to be significantly less than a similar campaign initiated by Bangkok 's City Hall the previous year in May, when 530 megawatt-hours were saved and 143 tonnes of carbon dioxide emission were cut. Philippine Electricity Market Corp. noted that power consumption dropped by about 78.63 megawatts in Metro Manila , and up to 102.2 megawatts on Luzon . The maximum demand drop of around 39 MW
7832-409: Was then designed by Sir Peter Scott from preliminary sketches by Gerald Watterson, a Scottish naturalist. The logo was slightly simplified and made more geometric in 1978, and was stylized and made less detailed in 1986, at the time that the organization changed its name, with the new version featuring solid black shapes for eyes. In 2000 a change was made to the font used for the initials "WWF" in
7921-629: Was three times larger than the first time the country joined the event in 2009. In the Philippines, 1,067 towns and cities pledged participation in 2010 and over 15 million Filipinos participated in the event. About 4,000 cities participated, including landmarks such as Big Ben , the Empire State Building , the Sydney Opera House , the Eiffel Tower , the Parthenon , the Brandenburg Gate , and
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