Earth Hour: DuPage Officials Encourage Residents to Share Conservation Tips Through Social Media

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 its 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 prepared 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, of Elmhurst, 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," DiCianni said. "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.”

Earth Hour is an annual, worldwide event organized by the World Wildlife Fund to raise awareness about climate change.

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 year:

• Setting a programmable thermostat will save an estimated 10 percent per year on heating and cooling costs.
• Choosing window treatments that allow natural light in will reduce heat loss and gain.
• Switching to ENERGY STAR appliances, fans and electronics could save nearly $900 over the lifetime of the products.
• Choosing energy-saving lighting can save about $50 a year and more than $600 in energy costs over the life of the bulbs.
• Using an electronic power strip 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.
• Lowering the temperature of the water heater and installing low-flow showerheads will reduce water heating bills.

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

Source: DuPage County press release