Cook County to Participate in Earth Hour

Some County buildings will go dark for global event to call attention to climate change

Cook County will turn off its non-essential lights March 25 to commemorate Earth Hour and call attention to climate change.

The Cook County Department of Facilities Management will save energy – and send a message about the role local government and Cook County residents play in cutting harmful greenhouse gas emissions – by turning off lights from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at several of its facilities.

Emergency lighting and all lighting necessary for public safety will remain on during this time period.

Earth Hour is a global event, organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature. It takes place annually to encourage communities, households, businesses and municipalities to turn off their non-essential lights for one hour as a symbol of their commitment to climate action.

 “Cook County has worked diligently to increase energy efficiency in County facilities because we know that our planet and its resources are vulnerable,” Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said. “We participate in Earth Hour to send the message that climate change and its effects on the environment must be heeded.”

More information may be found at earthhour.org.

The following County buildings will participate in Earth Hour:

• County Building  at 118 N. Clark Street
• Dunne Administration Building at 69 W. Washington
• Juvenile Temporary Detention Center-West Side Administration/Court building only
• Domestic Violence Courthouse
• Courthouses in Rolling Meadows, Skokie, Maywood, Bridgeview and Markham
• Leighton Criminal Court Building
• Criminal Courts Administration Building

Earlier this year, Cook County announced that for the third year in a row the County has exceeded its greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) reduction goals, according to the County’s Annual Sustainability Report. GHGs are a key factor in climate change.

GHGs from County buildings have decreased by 22 percent since they were calculated in 2010, an achievement that surpasses the target of a 10 percent reduction from 2010.

President Preckwinkle has made sustainability and green practices a priority in her administration. She created the Green Leadership Team, which is tasked with working with her office, the Cook County Department of Environmental Control and other County departments to put forward innovative solutions and resources for sustainability programs that foster energy efficiency and decrease pollution.