News & Announcements

3/23/2011 | Switching off for Earth Hour can also light a path to sustainable behaviour

BLJC encourages team members to not only participate in Earth Hour this Saturday, March 26, but also to commit to and help promote sustainable behaviour.

Building performance specialist Peter Rombos says taking a stand against climate change by turning off lights during Earth Hour from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. can be a springboard to a lasting change in attitude and habit that has an impact.

“Our main focus here is, it’s not what you do for one day for one hour but what you do every day,” he says.

“Actions are great but it’s consistent action that leads to results,” Rombos notes.

BLJC has developed a poster for Earth Hour and the Energy and Sustainability Team encourages all team members to receive it electronically and post it at their location.

Facility managers and building managers can obtain the poster and, in collaboration with clients, place it at client sites to either complement an existing client program or launch a program.

The poster encourages participation in Earth Hour and suggests ongoing ways to reduce climate change, such as shutting down computers and monitors at day’s end; ensuring all unnecessary lighting and space heaters are off; and considering alternatives to using appliances, such as hanging clothes to dry.

Rombos notes that these are small changes that everyone can make with “just a little bit of planning.”

A key is to adopt changes one at a time “and before you know it, you’re living a more sustainable life,” Rombos says.

As well, habits should not be counterproductive to actions taken.

For example, people may switch to more energy-efficient lighting but then leave it on all the time or add more lights.

“It’s been an observed outcome that even though you make everything more efficient, people still either don’t change their habits or they’re of the opinion that, hey now it doesn’t cost as much, I don’t use as much, I can leave it on . That totally defeats the purpose of what you just did,” Rombos says.

As part of its commitment to its core value of sustainability, BLJC follows environmentally-friendly practices. At head office in Markham, for example, lights are on timers and the heating system adjusts according to occupancy levels.

To learn more about Earth Hour, a global sustainability movement, click here.

BLJC is also a long-time supporter of Earth Day, which is commemorated around the world on Friday, April 22.