Earth Hour 2012 and beyond

On Saturday 31st March 2012 from 8.30pm to 9.30pm, RMIT will be participating in Earth Hour for the fifth consecutive year.

Earth Hour is a worldwide event that encourages households, businesses and institutions to switch off their lights for one hour to make a united statement against the effects of global warming. Earth Hour is a World Wildlife Fund (WWF) initiative.

Earth Hour is not just about individuals and organisations switching off their lights for one hour. Earth Hour, the world's biggest voluntary environmental event, symbolises humankinds’s commitment to help save the planet. It's what we do beyond Earth Hour that counts. It's about the changes we make in our everyday lives that will matter. If we all make changes for the benefit of the planet, collectively, we are making a substantial impact.

RMIT’s ongoing participation in Earth Hour is representative of the University’s commitment to reducing its carbon footprint.

RMIT University offers a suite of sustainability-themed courses and sustainable research projects. RMIT has also embedded sustainability into its building design, infrastructure, operations, procurement policies and work environments.

Check RMIT's Think Green website for the University’s latest sustainability initiatives and news.

For more information about living more sustainably, visit the Earth Hour website.

For RMIT staff and students

To support RMIT's participation in Earth Hour, staff and students should do the following on the Friday before Earth Hour :

• Turn off all non-essential lighting and electrical appliances
• Switch off PCs, monitors and printers
• Switch off any research equipment that is not in use before 8.30pm on Saturday, 31st March

Please note that workspaces across the University may be dark for several hours on Saturday night as the lighting systems will take time to switch back on.

• Fridges will be exempt.
• For safety reasons, all essential emergency lighting will be activated during Earth Hour.