Well Earth Hour is over and there has been no shortage of opinions on the effectiveness of the event in various media sources. The point was awareness and stemming from that, hopefully, an understanding of ways individuals and groups can make a difference. In the Excalibur it was stated that York would not participate in the event, citing security concerns. These concerns are legitimate, but perhaps the University could look more deeply into unnecessary lighting on campus and dimming the lighting in certain areas. Other, Ontario universities participated to varying degrees. In light of the recent carbon offsetting inititative at York, which has involved administrative recognition of the need for university practices to reduce their ecological footprint, it is not unrealistic to think the university could explore options to reduce its energy consumption. In the Toronto Star on Saturday, there was a feature page on what HBC has been doing to reduce its carbon footprint. In addition to participating in Earth Hour, the company has made extensive strides into other environmentally sustainable intiatives. They are continuing to retrofit stores and distribution centres with T8 lighting (highly efficient) and Building Automation Systems (BAS). BAS are store level central tracking systems that monitor daily consumption and minimize energy use by controlling lighting, heating, cooling, and ventilation. Through these and other initiatives, HBC has reduced its emission intensity by 20.5%, which is an emission reduction of 146,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. Before thinking that this might be corporate greenwashing, HBC's efforts have been commended by National Resources Canada and BC Hydro, which has designated HBC as one of only nine companies to be a Power Smart Certified Energy Efficiency Leader. Check out www.hbc.com/globalmind to see these intiatives and others underway at HBC to become a socially responsible corporate citizen. Some of these efforts would be worth looking into for an institution like York that desires to become practically engaged in sustainability efforts. Earth hour may be over, but its legacy should involve fundamental and practical changes that are realistic through the increased awareness brought about by these events.