Switch off
In tandem with the global Earth Hour movement, NUS Earth Hour 2010 will execute a symbolic switch off of lights in the evening of 27th March. The act of switch off is chosen as it is a simple act in which everyone can participate and help raise awareness of their individual contribution towards energy conservation.
For Earth Hour 2010, we will attempt to switch off lights at the Sports and Recreation (SRC) field, University Hall and the surrounding buildings and faculty beside it. To increase the participation this year, halls and residences will switch off their non-essential lights on their premises as well as encourage their residents to NUS Earth Hour 2010 Proposal 3
switch off their own room lights. It is anticipated that at least 3,000 hostel residents all over campus will participate in the voluntary switch off during Earth Hour 2010. This is also in-line with the Green Hostels @ South West initiative launched last Oct 2009 in NUS Eusoff Hall by Dr Amy Khor.
Record making attempt: Largest Paper lily Display
During the switch off, an attempt to set the Singapore record for the largest display of paper lilies will be carried out at the SRC field. A donation sponsorship will be solicited for the number of paper origami folded, and all proceeds will be channeled to the NUS Tree Fund to support Campus in a Tropical Rainforest projects (
Prior to Earth Hour, NUS staff and students will be engaged in folding origami with used paper. All the origami will be collected and planted into a tree-shaped mosaic on the SRC field on the day of Earth Hour. The planting of the origami flowers and the attempt to set a new record will be a highlight of the event and the display will be lit up with green light sticks when the switch off commences at 8.30pm sharp.
Other than encouraging participation, the origami folding promotes the ethos of recycling as students will be collecting waste paper to make the origami. The origami and waste paper collected will be sent for recycling after the event.
Signing Ceremony for Student Charter
The NUS Students’ Sustainability Charter is a student-initiated roadmap for sustainability for all constituent student clubs under the NUS Students’ Union (NUSSU). The Charter hopes to bring together all student organizations to agree on common steps that they can adopt to make their activities and operations more environmentally friendly. Beyond just a consensus for environmental sustainability, each signatory will be bound to take steps in accordance to the principles agreed upon in the Charter and take concrete action to improve the environmental performance of their organizations.
The Charter is currently under negotiations and is slated to be endorsed by the NUSSU Council in early March. It is targeted that the signing ceremony of the Charter can be held in conjunction with Earth Hour given that the event is a good platform to bring people together.
Launch of the Campus in a Rainforest Program
The Campus in a Tropical Rainforest is a new collaborative effort between students, academics and administration to develop a long term roadmap for the extensive greening of the NUS Kent Ridge campus. Under this programme, we will establish rooftop gardens, native community gardens and initiate tree planting initiatives to reduce campus ambient air temperature as well as enhance campus nature conservation and biodiversity. Other greening projects like vertical greening will be considered. These serve to exemplify the university as a leading institution and living laboratory for climate change adaptation as well as contribute to enhance the quality of our living environment.
Using NUS Earth Hour 2010 as a platform to launch the ambitious Campus in a Tropical Rainforest initiative will add an impetus to the Earth Hour event as the start of a concrete action plan to contribute to mitigate and adapt to climate change beyond just raising symbolic awareness.
Concert under the stars
As an attraction for people to participate in the event and as well as to engage the participants during the hour long switch off, there will be a series of band performances put up together by all the halls. The event will be held in the Nexus, University Hall, with food and drinks served.
