Cook County will turn off non-essential lights at several of its buildings on March 25 to mark Earth Hour and raise awareness about climate change, according to a statement from the county.
Earth Hour is an annual global event organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature. It encourages communities, households, businesses, and municipalities to switch off their non-essential lights for one hour as a symbol of their commitment to climate action.
The Cook County Department of Facilities Management will turn off lights from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at multiple facilities. Emergency lighting and all lighting necessary for public safety will remain on during this period. The participating buildings include the 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, and Criminal Courts Administration Building.
“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.”
Earlier this year, Cook County announced it had exceeded its greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals for the third consecutive year according to the Annual Sustainability Report. Since 2010, greenhouse gas emissions from county buildings have decreased by 22 percent—surpassing the original target of a 10 percent reduction from that year.
Preckwinkle has made sustainability a priority during her administration by creating the Green Leadership Team. This group works with her office and other departments to develop solutions and resources for sustainability programs aimed at increasing energy efficiency and reducing pollution.
