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LIGHTS OUT FOR A CAUSE:
HILTON COLLEGE PARTICIPATES IN EARTH HOUR
 Across the
world, people switched off the
lights to take a stand against
climate change. University of
Houston’s Hilton College joined
companies from around the world in
participated in Earth Hour, a
movement organized by the World
Wildlife Fund (WWF), and turned off
the lights for one hour beginning at
8:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 26.
WWF, one of the world’s largest and
most well known independent
conservation organizations, began
Earth Hour in 2007 in Sydney,
Australia with 2.2 million
individuals and more than 2,000
businesses. It has since grown to
become a worldwide event with the
participation of such landmarks as
Sydney Harbour Bridge, Golden Gate
Bridge in San Francisco and Rome’s
Colosseum.
Hilton Worldwide has participated in
the event from the beginning and
encourages their businesses around
the world to take part in the
movement. The University of
Houston’s Hilton College turned off
their non-essential lights
throughout the hotel for one hour.
Lights such as chandeliers, the
outside onyx wall and track lighting
around the hotel were shut down.
“We felt that it is important to
bring awareness to our team members
and our guests of the impact they
can have when it comes to
sustainable behaviors at home, work
and their travels,” said John
Trujillo, Director of Leadership
Development at the Conrad N. Hilton
College. “Many times, we may be at
home, an office or a guest room and
have lights or appliances operating
in areas that are unoccupied. By
participating in Earth Hour, our
guests and team members took notice
of the lights that were out and it
prompted questions that allowed us
to share the importance of
sustainable practice.”
The movement seems to have worked.
Trujillo said it has inspired his
team members to turn off lights in
areas that are not in use. Also, one
guest even mentioned their need to
put their porch light at home on a
timer in order to conserve energy.
This year during Earth Hour, Hilton
College chose to use LED
flashlights/glow sticks instead of
candlelight to eliminate carbon
byproducts resulting from burning
candles and the excess heat.
“This allowed us to be creative and
put a unique and colorful spin on
Earth Hour at the Hilton University
of Houston,” Trujillo said.
Trujillo himself has incorporated
sustainable practices in both his
home and office life as well.
“Honestly I never recycled, but a
few years ago I decided to try it. I
found that it was just a lifestyle
change, and you have to get used to
the behavior. The interesting thing
is that when I go back home to New
Mexico or visit friends that may not
be recycling, I find myself
separating and rinsing items; it’s
just a habit that you develop. I
have three windows in my office so
in the afternoons, it is not
uncommon to come into my office and
see that I am working at my computer
with the lights out. No one is
telling me to do it; I just take
advantage of the natural resources
that are available,” Trujillo said.
Hilton Worldwide has a five year
commitment from direct operations
(2009 – 2014) to reduce energy
consumption, CO2 emissions and waste
output by 20 percent; reduce water
consumption by 10 percent; the
advancement of renewable energy; and
the advancement of sustainable
buildings and operations. The
company has also implemented a
performance measure for their
businesses. LightStay is a
proprietary system that analyzes and
reports sustainability performance
at each property.
Trujillo has followed the lead of
his employer and expressed his own
personal interest in green
initiatives in sustaining our planet
for future generations.
“Personally, I feel that it is
important for us to start looking at
opportunities to implement
sustainable practices,” he said.
“Growing up in the mountains of
northern New Mexico, as a child I
was able to enjoy hiking, riding my
bicycle and playing in the streams.
Unfortunately, today we see
disregard for the environment, and
children can’t enjoy these outdoor
activities that I once enjoyed. If
we don’t start to take steps to
preserve our environment, who will?”
For more information on sustainable
practices at the University of
Houston, visit
www.uh.edu/green.
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