Note:This is from a press release issued by the World Wildlife Fund. No editing from me except to add links where they belong.

World Wildlife Fund today named HP as the official US technology partner for Earth Hour, the global climate change event taking place Saturday, March 29 at 8 pm local time (www.earthhour.org) in cities around the world.

During Earth Hour, millions of individuals and businesses will turn off their lights for one hour, demonstrating that by working together, we can all make a difference in the fight against climate change.

"We can't stop climate change in a single hour, but through Earth Hour 2008 we hope to raise awareness and encourage people to make energy reduction a priority long after the lights come back on," said Richard Moss, vice president of WWF's Climate Change program. "We are pleased HP has shown such strong leadership among companies in the technology sector and is developing models for the entire industry on how companies can reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and promote energy efficiency."

"Collaboration is key when it comes to addressing the effects of climate change," said Pat Tiernan, vice president of Social and Environmental Responsibility at HP. "Furthering our alliance with WWF supports our goal to educate others about climate change and energy efficiency."

During Earth Hour, some of the world's most iconic skylines, including those in Atlanta, Chicago, Phoenix and San Francisco, will go dark for one hour in this dramatic call for action on climate change. With a total of 25 cities participating in 10 countries, Earth Hour will be the largest voluntary power down in history.

HP is committing financial and technical support to Earth Hour as the national technology partner for the event. This effort builds on the company's pioneering relationship with WWF to address the causes and consequences of climate change. HP is promoting the event to its employees around the world, providing technology at events in each of the four U.S. cities and, most importantly, joining millions around the globe by turning off the lights at its facilities.

As part of its long-term collaboration with WWF, HP joined WWF's Climate Savers program with a commitment to reduce carbon dioxide emissions at its operating facilities worldwide by 15 percent below 2006 levels by 2010. HP also supports the Epicenter for Climate Conservation, which advances climate adaptation strategies and projects worldwide; Climate Witness, a program that shares the stories of individuals and communities impacted by climate change; and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Innovation, an initiative to identify one billion tonnes of carbon reductions that can be achieved through the use of ICT.

WWF and HP encourage individuals and business to join them in tackling climate change. Sign up to participate in Earth Hour at www.earthhour.org, and learn how you can take actions to reduce your carbon footprint throughout the year.