By Dillan J. Ducar ’13
THE ROUNDUP
Global warming seems to get more media attention every year as science suggests people continue to pollute the atmosphere with greenhouse gasses.
As a response, Earth Hour started in 2007 as a demonstration in Sydney, Australia where about 2.2 million people and 2,000 businesses turned off their lights and electronics to make a stand against climate change, according to Earthhour.org
This year, Sydney was joined by hundreds of millions people and businesses in 127 different countries and territories, including Brophy.
About 40 Brophy students took to the Chapel Saturday, March 26, for the international celebration of Earth Hour.
“It being the first year Brophy put this on, I was happy with the amount of people that showed up,” said Andrew Fennessy ’11, a member of the Sustainable Future Foundation.
“It was a very good atmosphere to see the Chapel with all of the candle lighting instead of the electric lanterns … but there is definitely room for improvement in terms of attendance,” he said.
Those in attendance showed up because they wanted others to know that students care about climate change and world pollution, but they said they also understand that one hour of no power a year is no big feat.
They urged that during this Earth Hour people shouldn’t just turn off thier electricity for one hour but to try to go beyond the hour.
“They are doing something physical,” said Mrs. Patty Mazier, moderator of the Sustainable Future Foundation and teacher of Environmental Science.
Not to counteract climate change but as a reminder that “we’re all in this together,” she said.
She explained four things students can do every day to help the cause of Earth Hour and combat climate change.
One, students can exchange old incandescent bulbs to newer CFL types to save about of 75 percent of the original energy. Two, students can conserve water by taking much shorter showers.
Three, turn off the lights leaving the room. Four, kill vampire energy by hooking electronics up to a power strip with an on off switch.
This was the first time Brophy took part in the celebration of Earth Hour and Mrs. Mazier said she hopes it won’t be the last.
