Times Square getting its first 'green' billboard

[onehandle]

Source: AP

NEW YORK – This winter, New Year's Eve revelers will have a close-up view of Times Square's first environmentally friendly billboard powered entirely by wind and sun.

But the billboard might not be quite as dazzling as some of its high-powered neighbors along the Great White Way.

Construction on the 35,000-pound sign advertising Ricoh Americas Corp. is to begin this month across the avenue from the building where the ball drops on New Year's Eve.

Powered by 16 wind turbines and 64 solar panels, the sign is expected to save $12,000 to $15,000 per month in electricity costs. Ricoh, an office equipment and document storage supplier, estimates the sign will also keep 18 tons of carbon out of the environment.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081116/ap_on_fe_st/odd_green_billboard

[ksimons]

1. 12-15 thousand a month on electricity?!!!

time to turn these billboards off altogether and run those green generators into homes, not advertising

[stuntcat]

2. right?.. just for some big signs..

just for some marketing bullshit.. it's like 50 large houses leaving their lights on all day. I feel ashamed that we're letting that stuff go on all the time, the real cost of it is too much.

[Johnny Noshoes]

3. I work in Times Square

and the "visual noise" can be overwhelming sometimes. Personally I would love it if the signs and video displays went dark even if it was only for one day a week. One of those video displays is a large screen running Faux Noise and man I would really love to see that crap go dark.

[geckosfeet]

4. So some exec in some plush office decides to spend millions on a sign.

Nice "work" if you can get it.

[ogneopasno]

5. I find it hard to consider anything about advertising to be green.

[VWolf]

6. Let me guess ...

The first ad to appear on it will be for the new Hummer.

The next will be for "Clean Coal"