Vanderbilt University and the city of Nashville will participate in Earth Hour on Saturday, March 26, to raise awareness about climate change.
Started in Sydney, Australia, in 2007 by the World Wildlife Fund and partners, Earth Hour has become a global event with more than 185 countries and territories participating.
For safety reasons, Vanderbilt will not turn off power campus-wide but invites community members to participate by shutting off their lights from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m.
The city of Nashville will require landmarks such as the Metropolitan Courthouse, the Korean War Veterans Memorial Bridge and the Parthenon to go dark for an hour in support. Faculty and staff not on campus also can participate by turning off their lights at home.
The Earth Hour organization recommends using the down time to reconnect with nature, cook up a candle-lit dinner with family and friends, host a board game night, watch a nature documentary or movie, tune in to a nature podcast or simply learn more about climate change and the steps you can take each day to be more sustainable.
All participants are asked to share their photos on Instagram using #EarthHour and tagging the FutureVU Sustainability account @futurevusustainability.
To learn more about how you can conserve energy throughout the year, visit the FutureVU Sustainability website.