E.L. to raise awareness with Earth hour

East Lansing joined four other cities in Michigan last week when it adopted a measure to encourage residents to turn off nonessential lights this weekend.

The dim down, nationally known as Earth Hour, takes place from 8:30-9:30 p.m. Saturday and residents are encouraged to turn off all nonwessential lights and electrical devices, East Lansing City Councilmember Nathan Triplett said.

“The most important part of this is action to raise awareness,” Triplett said. “Local communities are the best places to do things about reducing climate change.”

Students on campus also are encouraged to participate in Saturday night’s event as well as one Friday afternoon, as MSU officials for the second consecutive year are trying to promote environmental stewardship on campus, said Lynda Boomer, energy and environmental engineer at the MSU Physical Plant.

Friday’s event is geared toward involving faculty members who won’t be on campus for the main event Saturday night and will involve dimming lights and computers from noon to 1 p.m., Boomer said.

Last year’s effort on campus, driven largely by students, resulted in a 2 percent reduction in campus demand for electricity during the event.

If the event was continued each weekend, the efforts would have resulted in $160,000 savings in fuel costs for the year.

Boomer said she expects the program to generate a stronger response this year, now that students are more aware of Earth Hour.

“People have a heightened awareness now and we’re trying to get the message out better,” Boomer said. “Last year was more of a grassroots effort.”

Campus officials hope to cut MSU’s total energy consumption by 15 percent by the year 2015. Electrical consumption during the last six months has been reduced 1.6 percent from the same period last year, Boomer said.

Triplett said MSU’s involvement in Earth Hour played a role in East Lansing’s decision to jump on board with the initiative.

“It’s really a partnership,” Triplett said.

“I’m particularly proud that MSU is a flagship campus and East Lansing is being an Earth Hour city.”

On a global scale, more than 1,800 cities in 81 countries will participate in the event.

Mignonne Silva, a chemical engineering sophomore and co-president of the MSU student environmental group Eco, said she plans to participate in the event and hopes students will understand the difference they can make in protecting the environment.

“I think it’s important for students to realize how much impact they have,” Silva said.

“They have an opportunity to participate with students all around campus.”