Times Square ‘Earth Hour’ Blackout Scheduled for Saturday
By Al Barbarino March 28, 2014 2:02 pm
reprintsTourists visiting Times Square on Saturday might appear even more stupefyingly aimless when the lights go out.
As part of “Earth Hour,” lights at landmarks across the globe will go out to raise awareness of energy use and conservation, and Times Square will reportedly show its support for the annual event From 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Along with other Times Square buildings, Jamestown‘s One Times Square will shut down its massive electronic ads for the fifth year in a row as part of the company’s goal of reducing energy use and greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent by 2020, DNAinfo reported, noting that those particular ads generate $23 million a year in revenue.
For the first time, the New Year’s Eve ball will also blackout in support of the conservation efforts, organized by the World Wildlife Fund.
“We all need light, but we have to remind ourselves that technology has a cost to it, so we’ve got to be efficient and green,” Jeffrey Straus, president of Countdown Entertainment, which operates the ball, told DNA. “These companies all pay hundreds of thousands of dollars a month, but they all think it’s important to acknowledge the importance of the environment.”
The Times Square ball was outfitted with energy-efficient LED bulbs in 2008.
