Turn the lights off to turn the mood on! This February, the UVM Eco-Reps will launch UVM’s first annual Do It in the Dark month.

The idea is borrowed from a similar program at Tufts University which has had great success in promoting both energy conservation and sexual responsibility.

With support from the Center for Health and Wellbeing and the Office of Energy Management, the UVM Eco-Reps hope to take energy education where it’s never been before… into your bedroom!

Do It in the Dark month will be filled with a variety of events and promotions. Keep an eye out for the Eco-Reps tabling at dining halls and other locations on campus. There will be plenty of free stuff including candy, fun energy facts, safe sex tips and free condoms!

In the first week of February, the Eco-Reps will be sponsoring a light-bulb exchange in Mason-Simpson-Hamilton. Come with your incandescent bulbs, which can be traded for compact fluorescent bulbs, which use just a quarter of the energy of traditional bulbs and which will last ten times as long!

Anyone living in Mason-Simpson-Hamilton can expect a knock at the door by Eco-Reps, asking if they can exchange your light bulbs. By reducing our energy consumption in this way, we not only cut down on the energy bills, we also reduce our ecological footprint on the environment!

During the week of February 12th, the Eco-Reps join forces with the Center for Health and Wellbeing to celebrate Sexual Responsibility Week. Want to show your Valentine that you love them and the earth? Stop by the Eco-Rep table to pick up a special Do It in the Dark Valentine’s Day card!

As energy prices soar and temperatures plummet, February is perfect time of year to think about what you can do to help save energy on campus.

Ideas to do this include: turning off lights when you leave a room, turning down the thermostat, using “sleep mode” on your computer, buying energy star appliances including the mini-fridges that so many of us have in our rooms, taking advantage of the bulb-exchange and using the compact fluorescence bulbs, and recycling whenever possible.

With the effects of climate change becoming more evident every day, it’s time for everyone to think about the changes they can make to reduce energy consumption. It’s time to Pleasure Your Planet and DO IT IN THE DARK!

For more information about Do It in the Dark events see the calendar on the Eco-Reps website at www.uvm.edu/ecoreps.

For energy conservation tips, visit www.uvm.edu/energy and for more about sexual health and responsibility, visit www.uvm.edu/health.