Hour of darkness for climate change

Every little bit helps, supporters of a global initiative to fight climate change say.

With that, residents in Vernon Hills and throughout the region are being asked to participate in Earth Hour from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday.

The annual event began three years ago in Sydney, Australia, and is a campaign of the World Wildlife Fund. The event in Illinois is sponsored by ComEd.

"There are a lot of things consumers can do to prevent climate change that aren't painful," explained Ed Klein, vice president of environmental affairs for Tetra Pak, a leading multinational food processing and packaging company based in Vernon Hills.

With more than 20,000 employees and operations worldwide, Tetra Pak has a big footprint. The company says it has lowered carbon emissions globally by 12 percent since 2005, despite double-digit growth in production during that time.

"We've believed for more than 10 years as a company, and me personally, that climate change is something we have to do something about," Klein said.

For example, 40 percent of the energy used at the Denton, Tex., packaging facility comes from wind power, Klein said. Locally, the company has been promoting Earth Hour and has worked with other entities to spread the word.

In Vernon Hills, it will turn out nonessential lights for the hour, as it will at its Canadian headquarters. Production facilities in three locations in the U.S. will be shut down completely.

"It is mostly symbolic but there's also a cumulative impact," Klein said.

The village issued a proclamation designating Earth Hour and called for resident support. Lights at the village-owned Metra commuter train station will be extinguished for the hour, which should produce a noticeable difference.

"The lighting was according to federal standards when it was built," said Village Manager Mike Allison. "It would be safe to say you could read a book out there."

According to the official Earth Hour Web site, dozens of communities, including Algonquin, Carol Stream, Hoffman Estates, Lombard, Mount Prospect, Naperville, Rolling Meadows, Roselle, Schaumburg and South Elgin, have pledged to go dark.

In Chicago, more than 200 downtown buildings will turn off exterior lights.