Mike Russill joined WWF-Canada, as president and CEO in 2004. In this interview with Energy Advantage he discusses the upcoming Earth Hour event and how businesses and individuals can take up the challenge to combat Climate Change

[Newsletter] Could you describe the overall goal for WWF both here in Canada and globally?

[Mike Russill] Our goal is essentially the same as the WWF mission: to stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature. We strive for biodiversity through conservation and to reduce the human footprint by ensuring that use of renewable natural resources is sustainable and that waste and pollution are reduced.

[Newsletter]How long have you been involved with WWF Canada and what does it mean to you?

[Mike Russill] I have been CEO at WWF-Canada for four years now and I really see it as a gift. It’s a wonderful opportunity to lead and work with such an ambitious enterprise.

[Newsletter]And what are some recent WWF successes in Canada?

[Mike Russill] We’ve actually had an amazing first half of the fiscal year (June 2007- July 2008). It’s been WWF’s fortieth anniversary in Canada and several projects that we’ve been working towards in recent years have come to fruition. Some of the most notable of these achievements include the Government of Canada’s agreement to withdraw 10 million hectares of land in the Northwest Territory for protection. Also, in the year 2000, WWF- Canada set a goal to have 25 million hectares of boreal forest FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified. FSC certification is the highest forest certification globally and this year we reached our 25 million hectare target. Another achievement this year is the Government of Ontario’s designation of 1 million hectares of land as protected wetland, making it the largest protected wetland in the world right now.

[Newsletter]As you just mentioned, a number of the projects that WWF-Canada pursue take several years before results are achieved. How do you keep things focused and measure progress on a day-to-day basis?

[Mike Russill] We really can’t measure results on a day-to-day basis. To do so would be incredibly frustrating. Rather, we establish a series of milestones along the way and celebrate when we achieve these. Milestones include presentations, publication of reports, convening large meetings, getting introductory protection… We can all get together to celebrate these events and that keeps us well informed about how we are doing on the project.

[Newsletter]There seems to be a general view that Governments around the world are talking about Climate Change, yet in many cases we see no serious practical action, what is your view on this? What is it going to take to get the world mobilized?

[Mike Russill] I think we have two paths that will lead to unequivocal mobilization. One is an environmental crisis that will bring this issue to an absolute head. The other, which is more favourable and seems most probable, is a change in US presidential leadership. With a new US President, I think we will see a significant shift in terms of how the world addresses Climate Change.

[Newsletter]As you know Energy Advantage is in the business of helping companies address their combined challenges of energy and the environment. We have noticed that in the last 12 months, more and more organizations are getting serious and taking action. What has WWF-Canada's experience been when dealing with corporations through programs such as Climate Saver?

[Mike Russill]We have noticed the same thing. Organizations are really thinking seriously about how they can address these challenges. What we are finding is that businesses and organizations often want to take action but just don’t know how to. They don’t have a framework in place. This is where programs such as Climate Saver can help them by focusing on their business practices.

[Newsletter]At 8pm on March 29th, people are being encouraged to participate in ‘Earth Hour’. We understand that "Earth Hour" is part of broader approach called "The Good Life". Could you elaborate on the meaning and goal of The Good Life and how Earth Hour fits?

[Mike Russill]The Good Life is an attempt to create a long-term community of concerned Canadians interested and willing to take action to build a climate-friendly lifestyle that is healthy for people, for the planet and for future generations. Like-minded people are willing to raise their hands, to play their part in fighting Climate Change and to encourage others to get on board. Seeing the results of joint action is very important in terms of getting people to see the difference that they can make and The Good Life is a long-term community for exchanging this information as well. Earth Hour fits into this approach since participants will all be raising a hand to make the event possible and a success.

[Newsletter]Beyond Canada, which other global cities have already committed to Earth Hour?

[Mike Russill]We have already had 15 major global cities confirm that they are participating. Chicago, Copenhagen, Manila, Tel Aviv, Haifa and Suva, Fiji have all confirmed. Several cities in Australia, including Melbourne and Sydney, and three other cities in Denmark are also participating. In Canada, Yellowknife, Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal have followed Toronto’s example and signed on. Through our partnership with Virgin Mobile and the Toronto Star, we expect to have over one million people participate in Toronto.

[Newsletter]Can you give us a picture of what is going to happen during this event?

[Mike Russill]It’s going to be dark. Very dark. People are going to be celebrating the event with their family and friends with all their lights switched off. Of course, we are not taking any chances in terms of putting public safety at risk and so streetlights and other essential lighting will still operate.

[Newsletter]Earth Hour was piloted in Sydney last year with great success. Do you have some figures that highlight how well the event went?

[Mike Russill]In Sydney, 2 million people and 2100 businesses took part. The result was a 10% drop in use of the electrical grid. That’s the equivalent of taking 50,000 cars off the road for an hour.

[Newsletter]That’s certainly very impressive. Beyond Earth Hour, how else does WWF-Canada suggest that people make a difference to combat Climate Change?

[Mike Russill]By continuing to share information and encouraging everyone you know to play their part in combating Climate Change, in line with The Good Life approach. We really see this philosophy as an opportunity to lead a good life at the same time as reducing our footprint. Voting in political elections at all levels is another way for concerned citizens to talk.

[Newsletter]Can you tell our readers where they might find out more information about Earth Hour and how they can become involved in supporting WWF?

[Mike Russill]That’s easy. They can visit our website at http://www.wwf.ca/ or, if they prefer to ‘phone, call us at 1-800-26 PANDA.