Turn
the Lights Off to Vote for Earth
 It’s bound to be
dark on campus this Saturday, March 28, between 8:30 and
9:30 p.m.
That’s when the “switch-hunt” will
take place, when student teams will rove from campus house
to house in search of lights to turn off.
It’s all part of ,
a global effort sponsored by the World Wildlife Federation
(WWF) to get people everywhere to “vote for earth” by
turning off lights for one hour. (Leaving your lights on,
according to the campaign, is a vote for global warming.)
In an effort to inspire
compliance with Earth Hour at Smith, students in Morrow
House have coordinated a “switch-hunt,” in
which teams will roam the campus switching off lights as
necessary.
“Our hope with the switch-hunt is to not only have
student rooms dark, but academic and administrative buildings
as well,” said Lauren Kaelin ’10, who is leading
the effort. “We really just want to encourage involvement—turning
off as many lights as possible. ”
Students pedal for power during Earth Hour 2008. |
The switch-hunt is also
a house competition event, Kaelin explained. Each house
will receive “Turn me off” signs
and will have one hour to distribute them on campus while
turning off lights. The first team to return having distributed
their tags will win “green” prizes, such as mugs,
wine glasses, plants and gift certificates that promote sustainability
on campus.
This is the second year Morrow House students have coordinated
the switch-hunt, said Kaelin. The students formed a house
Sustainability Committee last year to actively promote sustainability
efforts, such as using low-wattage light bulbs, low-flow
shower heads and recycled materials.
Through Earth Hour, the WWF hopes to motivate one billion
people to turn off their lights for the hour. The results
of the campaign will be presented at the United Nations Global
Climate Change Conference later this year.
“One person turning off their lights won’t make
thatmuch of a difference,” said Kaelin. “But
what our committee has always encouraged and what Earth Hour
is all about is small steps, small deeds. If everyone just
did one small deed, that becomes significant, that makes
a difference.”
That is the premise behind
Earth Hour: inspiring broad change through a planet full
of small actions.
“Make Smith as dark as possible to show our support
for climate change action,” Kaelin encouraged. “An
hour of darkness, a world of difference.”
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