Jacquie Ottman's
Green Marketing Blog
Two Birds, One Switch? Brightening The Future With A Dark Idea
September 10, 2010 by Jacquelyn Ottman
This is a guest blog post by Catie Carter.
For two months this fall, many of the cities largest buildings, including the Chrysler building, and Rockefeller Center, are turning their lights off. New York City Audubon has organized the fifth annual “Lights Out New York” in an effort to help migratory birds. Buildings participating in “Lights out New York” have agreed to turn their lights off from midnight to dawn from September 1st to November 1st.
Since 1993 other cities throughout North America have also joined the initiative born by the organization Fatal Light Awareness Program, cleverly referred to as FLAP. In New York, it is estimated that 90,000 birds die every year from colliding with buildings. The lighted buildings confuse the birds and one study revealed that bird deaths decreased by 83% when lights were turned off.
NYC Audubon estimates in their press release that a building with 25 million square feet of floor space saves approximately $120,000 in energy costs over two months.
This serves as an excellent example of a creative way a business reduce their energy costs and protect the environment, all without sacrificing customer satisfaction. I can’t help but ask, why turn the lights back on? And what other lights might this inspire us to turn off?
I purpose a new organization—NO-EL, NO Extra Lighting—that we can all participate in. This new initiative would encourage homeowners to switch their lights off in the wee hours of the holiday season. NO-EL could save us money, reduce our energy consumption, and help dim the light pollution that may blind Santa on Christmas eve.
For more information or to sign up for the “Lights Out New York” program visit http://www.nycaudubon.org/home/lightsout.shtml.
Catie Carter is a Green Design innovator. Contact her by email.
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