School board jumps on board with Earth Hour
by Brad Grant
The Quinte and Prince Edward Hastings School Board will be a darker place on March 28, 2008 in order to conserve energy.
Lights at the Hasting and Prince Edward School Board will be turned off for an hour to raise student awareness of Earth Hour. Cities across the globe will be following suit on March 29 to raise awareness for global warming.
Kerry Donnell, communications officer for the board said the board hopes to raise awareness for parents and students.
“We want people to just be aware of global warming, and this is one action that can raise awareness,” said Donnell.
The school board is not going so far as to encourage students to turn off their own lights, but is hoping that students will follow the schools example.
“Were not going that far (in encouraging students) the direction of the school board is that we’ll do it in schools and offices, and hopefully children will take that message home as part of their learning throughout the day, and hopefully when the real Earth Hour hits, they’ll do that,” she said.
All 46 primary, and eight secondary school lights will be out in the Quinte Region at 8:00 p.m., however the Education Centre, and other affiliate sites will be out at 8:00 a.m. on the same day instead. Students will not be able to see the black out which raises questions on whether students would be motivated to mimic the schools.
Earth Hour was originally conceived in Australia in 2007, and this is the first time that it has become a global event, although China, Japan, and France are among many that will not be participating. The event was criticized for its participation, only reducing energy usage between two and six percent. |
