Campus to raise climate change awareness with an hour of darkness

Event: Earth Hour
Date and time: Saturday, March 26 from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Location: Goshen College campus

GOSHEN, Ind. – Goshen College will join hundreds of millions of people around the world in an hour of darkness on March 26 from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m.

Goshen College began participating in Earth Hour in 2009 as a way to raise awareness about climate change. This year, the college will participate again by turning off most outdoor lights for an hour. Students are also encouraged to turn off room lights and personal electronics in order to use the least amount of electricity as possible. Glenn Gilbert, utilities manager and sustainability coordinator at the college, said that though an hour with limited electricity doesn't save an outstanding amount (only about $15), it gets people thinking outside the box about how electricity is used.

Earth Hour began in 2007 in Sydney, Australia, created by the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) as a public statement for action on climate change. In the years since then, according to the WWF Web site, it has grown to become the greatest environmental action in history, with people across 128 different countries participating in Earth Hour 2010. Even landmarks like the Pyramids in Egypt, the Eiffel Tower, the Empire State Building and the Christ the Redeemer statue in Brazil stood in darkness as a symbol of environmental consciousness.

– By Alysha Landis

Editors: For more information about this release, to arrange an interview or request a photo, contact Goshen College News Bureau Director Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college's Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron's Best Buys in Education, "Colleges of Distinction," "Making a Difference College Guide" and U.S.News & World Report's "America's Best Colleges" edition, which named Goshen a "least debt college." Visit www.goshen.edu.