Earth Hour 2013: DuPage Officials Encourage Participation

DuPage County officials are encouraging residents and businesses to participate in Earth Hour from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, March 23 and to share conservation tips through it's Facebook page.

“Earth Hour represents our commitment to lessen our environmental footprint beyond this hour of conservation,” DuPage County Board Chairman Dan Cronin said in a statement. “Social media is a great way to interact with residents and to gauge how many of them plan to participate in Earth Hour. The site will also provide eco-friendly tips that all of us can use throughout the year, not just during Earth Hour.”

The county has participated in Earth Hour for the last several years by turning off non-essential campus lighting and powering down electronics in the administrative buildings, Environmental Committee Chairman Pete DiCianni said in a statement. The county also recently upgraded the campus building management system that electronically controls the temperature in each office. 

“We are proud to participate in Earth Hour. The success of this event depends on everyone participating in sustainability efforts every single day, not just during the one-hour event. All of us—residents and businesses alike—play a key role in increasing our energy efficiency by simply powering down electronics and appliances when they are not in use,” DiCianni said. 

Earth Hour is an annual, worldwide event organized by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to encourage residents and businesses to turn off non-essential lights for one hour in an effort to raise awareness about climate change. This year, Earth Hour will be held from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 23.

According to WWF, the 2012 event inspired millions of people in more than 7,000 cities and 152 countries to turn off their lights for one hour.

The U.S. Department of Energy offers the following recommendations on how to conserve water and energy which will ultimately save money throughout the entire year:

• Install and set a programmable thermostat which will save an estimated 10 percent per year on heating and cooling costs;
• Choose window treatments that allow natural light in which will reduce heat loss and gain;
• Switch to ENERGY STAR appliances, fans and electronics which could save nearly $900 over the lifetime of the products;
• Choose energy-saving lighting which can save approximately $50 a year and more than $600 in energy costs over the life of the bulbs; 
• Use an electronic power strip that will help reduce phantom loads and save up to $100 a year by plugging electronic devices into the strip and turning it off when not in use; and
• Lower the temperature of the water heater and install low-flow showerheads to reduce water heating bills.

To learn more about DuPage County’s environmental initiatives, visit www.dupageco.org/recycling.

Information courtesy of a press release from DuPage County.