Chicago to turn off lights for one hour

February 16, 2008

Chicago plans to join more than 20 other cities and shut off exterior lights on public buildings for an hour in an effort to raise environmental awareness.

The voluntary hour of energy conservation is to occur worldwide on March 29 from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. as part of Earth Hour 2008, sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund, the Chicago Tribune reported Saturday.

It's "a symbolic gesture to remind us that we all share the responsibility of global warming," Chicago Mayor Richard Daley said Friday.

Exterior lights also will turn off for the hour on Chicago landmarks such as the Merchandise Mart, Sears Tower and the John Hancock Center, said a World Wildlife Fund statement.

Other participating cities include Toronto, Manila, Bangkok, Copenhagen, Melbourne and Tel Aviv.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International


print this article email this article download pdf blog this article bookmark this article     Stumble it Digg this share on Facebook retweet share on Reddit add to delicious
Rate this story - 3.8 /5 (40 votes)

Rank Filter

Move the slider to adjust rank threshold, so that you can hide some of the comments.


Display comments: newest first

  • dachpyarvile - Feb 19, 2008
    • Rank: 1 / 5 (1)
    This is insane! I was in Chicago when the lights went out during a power outage. The West Side and Southside faced looting and rampant crime in those places. And, now, they want to turn off the lights deliberately? Turning off lights for an hour on public buildings might well end up providing an opportunity for certain kinds of criminal activity.

February 16, 2008 all stories

Comments: 1

3.8 /5 (40 votes)
  • Stumble this up

  • Digg this

  • share this

  • hide
  • Related Stories

  • 7 solutions for sleepless situations
    created May 22, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0
  • Earth Hour had impact, utilities say
    created Mar 31, 2008 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0
  • Early to bed early to rise... depends on the TV schedule in your time zone
    created Mar 06, 2008 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0
  • Networking: 'Smart highways' emerging
    created Aug 01, 2005 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0
  • Study shows how granular materials get themselves out of a jam
    created Jun 22, 2005 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0



  • hide
  • Relevant PhysicsForums posts

  • The Origin of the term 'fossil' fuels
    created Nov 05, 2009
  • co2
    created Nov 03, 2009
  • Early Earths Sulfidic Ocean Conditions
    created Oct 30, 2009
  • vegetation
    created Oct 29, 2009
  • More from Physics Forums - Earth

Other News

Seattle team wins $900,000 in Space Elevator Games (AP)

Seattle team wins $900,000 in Space Elevator Games

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

created 18 hours ago | popularity 5 / 5 (7) | comments 4

(AP) -- A Seattle team has collected a $900,000 prize in a NASA-backed competition to develop the concept of an elevator to space - an idea spurred by science fiction novels.


Russian rocket to launch from French Guiana in 2010

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

created 18 hours ago | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 0

A Russian rocket will next year for the first time blast off from a European launch pad in South America, officials said Saturday, as the first rockets headed for the site on board a ship.


Success in 'space elevator' competition (AP)

Success in 'space elevator' competition (Update 3)

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

created Nov 05, 2009 | popularity 4.3 / 5 (33) | comments 50

(AP) -- A robot powered by a ground-based laser beam climbed a long cable dangling from a helicopter on Wednesday to qualify for prize money in a $2 million competition to test the potential reality of the ...


Space hotel taking bookings for 2012 opening

Space hotel taking bookings for 2012 opening

Space & Earth / Space Exploration

created Nov 05, 2009 | popularity 4.3 / 5 (19) | comments 11

(PhysOrg.com) -- The first orbiting space hotel is on track to open for its first customers in 2012, but hurry, as bookings are filling fast.


'Dropouts' pinpoint earliest galaxies

'Dropouts' pinpoint earliest galaxies

Space & Earth / Astronomy

created Nov 06, 2009 | popularity 4.1 / 5 (9) | comments 11

Astronomers, conducting the broadest survey to date of galaxies from about 800 million years after the Big Bang, have found 22 early galaxies and confirmed the age of one by its characteristic hydrogen signature ...