March 27, 2009
Turn off the lights for Earth Hour

This Saturday, March 28, at 8.30pm people of all ages, nationalities, race and background have the opportunity to use their light switch as their vote – Switching off your lights for one hour is a vote for Earth, or leaving them on is a vote for global warming.

WaterAid America supports WWF's call to people everywhere to VOTE EARTH and reach the target of one billion votes, which will be presented to world leaders at the Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen 2009.

Scientists around the world agree that the changes in climate we are seeing globally are the result of human activity. However, while the responsibility for environmental change rests with industrialized nations, the effects will be felt most by the poor in developing countries.

Climate change threatens to alter established weather patterns and is set to accelerate. The influential report Stern Review – Economics of Climate Change predicted that climate change would have the following affects on water resources:

Stresses:

• regional rainfall patterns change (ie areas become drier, or wetter, on average)

• precipitation falls as rain at higher altitudes, glacial melt

Shocks:

• extreme events become more likely, for example droughts and floods – flooding has huge impact on sanitation facilities

• salinization of groundwater / surface water due to sea level rise

Changes to water quality, quantity and availability all impact on WaterAid's aim of enabling the world's poorest people to gain access to safe water in the coming years.  Drought is causing wells to dry up, while flooding makes latrines collapse and/or overflow, washing their contents into water sources.

Urgent action is needed to reduce global warming and minimize its impact on the environment and on the billions of people living in poverty across the world who disproportionately feel its effects.

Please join us in demanding action by switching off your lights at 8.30pm local time on Saturday March 28, 2009.