Dawn was recently interviewed by the Toronto Star for her views on Earth Hour. Amidst all the naysayers' grumbling about the ineffectiveness of such a token endeavour, Dawn was able to put the event into proper perspective:

But what exactly was Earth Hour meant to accomplish? Was it intended to have a radical impact on our energy habits?

"It's obviously a symbolic event, it wasn't meant to be anything else," said Dawn Bazely, the sustainability director and a biology professor at York University. "Turning the lights off for Earth Hour shouldn't make you feel virtuous or pious.

"But, on the other hand, it has gotten everyone thinking about how much energy they use, and how they can reduce their consumption – and that's what the point was."

Bazely, who got involved in the environmental movement as a student in the '70s, isn't bothered by the commercial nature of Earth Hour. "That's just how it is in North America. It has to be hip and has to be trendy for people to want to participate."

But she urges those who may be content with cutting their power use just for an hour this evening to think bigger. "The problem with this kind of event is that it focuses on one hour, when people should be thinking about the larger picture."