Evanston and many other cities worldwide went pitch black for one hour Saturday in an effort to save non-renewable energy.
Individuals and businesses around the globe were encouraged by the World Wildlife Fund to turn off their lights from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. for Earth Hour. National landmarks such as the Sears Tower and Empire State Building shut off their lights for the event to acknowledge the dangerous effects of global climate change.
Northwestern participated along with dozens of college campuses, said Julie Cahillane, the university’s manager of recycling and refuse. NU promoted the initiative by submitting articles in several campus newsletters, broadcasting an advertisement on television screens across campus and contacting students.
“Operationally it was a combination effort of housing, and offices, faculty and staff,” Cahillane said.
The effort included shutting off decorative lighting such as the clock towers at the Rebecca Crown Center, 633 Clark St. and University Hall, 1897 Sheridan Road, and the roof lighting at Deering Library, 1935 Sheridan Road.
“(Earth Hour) was kind of a process, and you don’t think about turning certain things off,” Cahillane said. “We made a conscious effort to turn off things like signage.”
Emily Wright, a co-chair of Students for Ecological and Environmental Development, participated by unplugging all of her electronics before leaving campus for spring break. She said NU’s advertising of Earth Hour helped boost participation and awareness.
“It at least gets people to think, ‘I should turn off my light,'” she said. “It’s not going to solve global warming, but it contributes to people’s continued daily habits.”
The city of Evanston encouraged residents to turn off their lights as well, said Carolyn Collopy, the city’s sustainable programs coordinator.
“What better way for our residents and businesses to say ‘I care about conserving energy,'” she said in a press release.
While information about how much energy was saved was not immediately available, Wright said the city and campus participation helped to make people think about energy conservation.
“It was a big priority,” she said. “They were planning a lot and it helps build awareness.”
