I am a UMD student and RA on campus and recently I have been working night and day to bring ‘Earth Hour’ to UMD and Duluth Minnesota! If you don’t know about ‘Earth Hour,’ basically it is a global initiative that asks citizens to turn off the lights of their homes/businesses from 8:30-9:30 p.m. on March 28th as a way to vote ‘Earth’. If you would like to learn more about ‘Earth Hour’ the official website is earthhour.org.

With ‘Earth Hour’ fast approaching I hope that Duluth businesses and households will support ‘Earth Hour’ and vote ‘Earth’ by participating in one hour of darkness. I thought one of the coolest things about ‘Earth Hour’ can be found in big urban areas such as New York City where the lights to the Empire State Building are cut, or in Sydney Australia where you can watch the lights of the infamous Opera House go dark. ‘Earth Hour’ shows not only that we can work together to achieve sustainability in Duluth and in the World, but is also a great reason to spend time with your loved ones. Not that there isn’t reason to go out on a scenic Duluth night already, but there is something intimate about an hour of darkness.

I have also talked to local restaurants about serving candlelit dinners from 8:30-9:30 p.m. on March 28th. So far we have had many tentative “yes” replies but Sara’s Table at 1902 E 8th Street is the only one who has fully committed to ‘Earth Hour’ by spending the hour with a dark dining area lit only by candles. We hope that on March 28th you can support local restaurants who are participating in ‘Earth Hour’ as a way to further your vote for Earth.

I will add more restaurants to this post as we hear from them.

Overall I believe that Duluth is a city that can make a difference, and participating in ‘Earth Hour’ is something that could really demonstrate where we stand when it comes to global sustainability. And with such beautiful natural scenery surrounding our city, global climate change is something that could forever change our beautiful area and make it something less than a memory. It is these thoughts that not only bring me fear, but hope. A hope that we can make a difference, and that difference I feel may begin in the form of ‘Earth Hour.’ So I hope you will join me by turning off your lights and power on March 28th from 8:30p.m.-9:30p.m and vote not only for Earth but for Duluth also.

Thank you for your interest in bringing ‘Earth Hour’ to Duluth and your efforts in making this a more beautiful world.

Together We Can Fight For Global Sustainability
Let Our Voices Be Heard Through The Darkness