Lights Out In Boston

By Victoria Bedford 3-9-13  

Boston Mayor Thomas Menino wants the city to go dark…but only for one hour.  It’s all in honor of Earth Hour.

He is encouraging the city’s business owners and residents to participate in the lights out campaign.  This will be the sixth year Beantown has been involved.

The international event’s goal is to raise awareness about climate change, action, and education.  The World Wildlife Fund’s Earth Hour is asking for the blackout to be on Saturday, March 23 from 8:30-9:30 pm.

But the action doesn’t end there.  The lights out program also wants building owners and property managers to dim their lights between 11 pm and 5am during the spring migratory bird season from now until June 2. Dozens of commercial skyscrapers in downtown Boston are participating.

All this is part of Mayor Menino’s Greenovate Boston initiative. He hopes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent in 7 years and by eighty percent in 2050.