Things to Know:
- Earth Hour began in Sydney, Australia, in 2007 when more than 2.2 million people turned off their lights for one hour.
- In 2023, Earth Hour saw over 410,000 hours pledged to the Hour Bank.
- Vanderbilt University, and many Nashville businesses and organizations, participate annually in Earth Hour to raise awareness about climate change.
- Anyone can participate by turning off nonessential lights on Saturday, March 23, from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. and doing something that benefits the planet.
Vanderbilt University, a leader of sustainability in higher education, will participate in the global event, Earth Hour, to raise awareness about climate change.
The university will turn off exterior lights at the West End and Kirkland towers from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 23.
Earth Hour was started by World Wildlife Fund and its partners, and today more than 190 countries and territories participate. Vanderbilt’s participation, in coordination with Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s office, is part of a Metro Nashville initiative to have businesses and organizations across the city collaborate to raise environmental awareness.
For safety reasons, Vanderbilt will not turn lights off campuswide, but it invites community members to shut off any nonessential lights during the event.
The Earth Hour organization suggests using this hour to reconnect with nature, explore the Vanderbilt University Arboretum, host a candlelight dinner with friends, host a game night, tune into a nature or sustainability-focused podcast or learn more about climate change and what you can do daily to be more sustainable.
If you choose to participate, share your photos on Instagram using #EarthHour and tag the FutureVU Sustainability account @futurevusustainability for a chance to be reshared.
To learn more about Vanderbilt’s sustainability efforts, visit the FutureVU Sustainability website.
