There is yet another election to be had.

On Saturday, the World Wildlife Fund is promoting “Earth Hour,” which is the WWF’s plea to people around the world to turn off their lights at 8:30 p.m. local time for an hour. The slogan for the event is, “Your light switch is your vote,” and they claim that, “switching off your light switch is a vote for Earth,” according to the Web site www.earthhour.org. Their goal is to inspire one billion participants.

DeKalb Acting Mayor Kris Povlsen said that recently there was a proclamation about Earth Hour. Povlsen said he personally plans on participating and said people could turn off their appliances and take the time to “reflect.”

“[It was proclaimed that] Saturday night all citizens of DeKalb should turn off our lights and any energy they’re using that night; their TVs, their coffee pots and their computers,” Povlsen said. “It’s a symbolic gesture in order to take part in an action to keep our earth green.”

Paul Loubere, a professor in geology and environmental geosciences, called it a “consciousness-raising activity.”

“It’s a small addition to the continuing effort to make people aware of something they should know about,” Loubere said. “It’s a good idea to me. It’ll lower the electricity bill a little bit.”

Freshman English major Sylvia Flowers plans on doing her part from her room in Douglas Hall.

“I plan on turning everything off in my room,” Flowers said.

Aaron Feest, a graduate student pursuing a master’s in dietetics and nutrition, said he would be going to a concert but is onboard with the idea.

“I think that people need to do a lot more, but I think Earth Hour is a great opportunity for people to think about what they can do.”

WWF is doing this to appeal to the participants of the 2009 Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, which “will determine official government policies to take action against global warming,” according to their site.

Freshman technology major Daniel Evoy thinks the idea is gaining traction.

“Realistically, I can see a huge reduction in energy use, but not many will turn everything off,” Evoy said.

The site claims this initiative first took place in Sydney, where “2.2 million homes and businesses” participated. The site also states in 2008 the initiative first saw the global spotlight, where Rome’s Coliseum, a Coca Cola billboard in Times Square and the Sydney Opera House had all participated. Fifty million people participated globally, according to the site.

Editor’s Note: Staff writer Kyle Nabors contributed to this story.