Woodbury University is also participating in the program, though its effect might be minimal, said professor E.B. Gendel, an economics professor who is spearheading the effort on campus.
“We don’t have a tower and campus is mostly closed on Saturday, but we will be making sure that all nonessential lights are turned off, though I would hope they would be turned off anyway,” he said.
For Gendel, Earth Hour is an opportunity for his students and his school to affect major change on a minor level.
“This is the start of something, not the end,” Gendel said. “We’ve been getting the word out to students and they are doing more than just lip service. That generation is empowered. This program certainly raises awareness. You can take individual action and not just for one hour on one Saturday night. Observe your life, observe your behavior and see what else you can do. If you combine individual action, it can become global.
While the program has achieved some substantive changes in reducing carbon emissions, Earth Hour’s real goal is symbolic, Forfman said.
“The more energy we use, the more CO2 we put in the air, which increases the temperature on the planet,” he said. “Scientists are trying to put together a link to energy use and climate change, but that’s not what this is about. Earth Hour is a completely symbolic gesture. We need to make these kinds of changes every day.”
