NEW YORK JOINS EARTH HOUR
Saturday, March 28, 2009Governor Paterson Directs Exterior Lighting at State Capitol to be Temporarily Extinguished
Governor David A. Paterson today announced that tonight, New York will join millions around the world by collectively celebrating Earth Hour. In Albany, state officials will turn off the external lighting that illuminates the State Capitol from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Commissioner John Egan of the New York State Office of General Services (OGS) said: “Governor Paterson’s sustainability policies clearly demonstrate that New York’s actions can have a global impact. Every day we seek to minimize environmental impact by improving upon our operational efficiencies or by finding new ways to incorporate green technologies and products into our service-based mission.”
Commissioner Pete Grannis of the Department of Environmental Conservation said: “By taking steps – big and small -- to reduce the amount of energy use, we can lay the groundwork for progress in the fight against climate change. We may also inspire individuals and businesses to take practical action to reduce their own carbon footprint.”
Governor Paterson has developed a broad portfolio of tactics to fight climate change -- the most important environmental issue of our time – and create a clean energy economy. These range from participating in the groundbreaking multi-state Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative to funding alternative fuel research to pushing for infrastructure upgrades that will protect New York’s lakes, rivers and streams to establishing the “45 by 15” goal for the state to meet 45 percent of its electricity needs through improved energy efficiency and renewable sources by the year 2015.
Last year, the Governor directed state agencies to take aggressive steps to cut operational costs to help combat New York’s growing budget deficit. OGS, the state agency responsible for managing the statewide portfolio of more than 50-buildings, immediately implemented a plan to reduce energy consumption that included minimizing the use of lighting at the Empire State Plaza, adjusting building temperatures, and installing additional energy-efficient devices and controls at state properties. Through the first 11 months of the 2008-09 fiscal year, New York State’s energy consumption was reduced by 8.02 percent, compared to the same period in 2007-08.
Earth Hour is an event coordinated by the World Wildlife Fund http://www.earthhourus.org/.
In 2008, more than 50 million people in 370 cities around the world took part as the lights dimmed at Sydney’s Opera House, Rome’s Coliseum, the Empire State Building and the Golden Gate Bridge.
