To celebrate Penn State's plan to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, Eco-Action threw a low energy party on Friday night -- with the lights off.

The party in HUB-Robeson Center's Heritage Hall, themed "Do it in the Dark," was complete with glow sticks, fluorescent body paint and glow-in-the-dark games as students celebrated the university's decision to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions 17.5 percent by the year 2012.

"This is going to make Penn State a leader. We're saying to other universities 'global climate change is a huge problem, but we're taking it on,' " Anne Kirkner (junior-sociology), an officer in Eco-Action, said.

The group worked on this campaign for about two years, gathering more than 4,000 letters to administrators, creting rallies and conducting a 25-hour sit-in on the steps of Old Main. "It took a little longer than we wanted, but [the plan] is very thorough," Kirkner said.

The new energy plan was unveiled Jan. 18.

"By the time we implement the plan fully, our emissions will be less than they were in 1996," said Brandi Nagle, an engineering aid for the Office of the Physical Plant (OPP) who attended the event.

Penn State plans to have 20 percent of its total energy come from renewable sources, such as wind and biomass, Nagle added.

"We're doing it on a number of fronts. We're trying to conserve wherever we can," said Paul Ruskin, OPP spokesman who also attended the event. He said one example is by using more electric transportation.

The Segway Human Transporter is a two-wheeled electric transportation device that OPP uses to move the maintenance staff around campus. Ruskin said OPP is also experimenting with replacing its gasoline-powered vehicles with electric ones.

"By using alternative energy, we are avoiding creating pollution, since alternative energy is renewable," he said. OPP is also replacing incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent lights wherever it can on campus.

During the night, OPP and Eco-Action presented ways in which students could make changes in their personal energy use.

"Whatever the university does in general makes a difference, and everything individuals do make a difference," Ruskin said. He said every time someone takes the elevator it costs one cent, and there are 350 elevators on campus. "We want the Penn State students to understand little choices are important and when you add them up it makes a difference," Ruskin said.