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Mayor, Commercial Partners Turn Lights Out on Boston
9/3/2008 - Released by Mayor's Office
For more information contact Press Office
City Partners with Private Property Owners to Reduce Energy Use Mayor Thomas M. Menino stood alongside prominent commercial property owners and the President of the Mass Audubon today from the top floor of the John Hancock Tower to announce a new initiative called Lights Out Boston. Under this voluntary program participating building owners and managers agree to turn off or dim all architectural and internal lighting between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. during the fall bird migratory season, which ends October 31, 2008. “Today the owners of Boston’s iconic skyscrapers are standing tall to do their part to make Boston a greener city,” said Mayor Thomas M. Menino. “By turning off unnecessary night lighting on our tallest buildings, we save on utility costs, we protect migratory bird species, and our kids may even see a few more stars over our city.” Partners to Lights Out Boston own and operate buildings that comprise over 23 million square feet of commercial office space in Boston. The minimum requirements for participants in the program entail turning off all architectural and internal lighting visible from the outside by 11 p.m. every evening and leaving them off until daylight from now until October 31, the peak of the fall bird migration season. Tonight, building managers will begin turning off their exterior lights and asking their tenants to turn off their office lights upon leaving for the evening. If tenants are working late, they will be asked to draw their blinds or curtains and try to use a desk lamp instead of overhead lighting. Also, virtually all building managers perform maintenance and cleaning services at night, but are committed to minimize lighting impacts where feasible. It is expected that as building managers work to comply with the program, that they will find additional ways to reduce night lighting and save energy. These skyscrapers will set an example that encourages everyone to use energy more efficiently. According to Shay Sims, Vice President & Partner of CB Richard Ellis, who led the effort to coordinate the property owners and managers support on this initiative, “The core group of building owners and managers supporting Lights Out Boston represent millions of square feet of high-rise office space in the City of Boston and like the Mayor, is committed to saving energy and improving the environment.” Lights Out Boston will also protect migrating birds, which have difficulty adapting to an urban environment. When a city skyline—especially buildings over 30 stories high—is brightly lit at night, the lights can confuse the birds. Scientists are unsure of the exact reason for this problem but do know that birds can fly as low as 500 feet during inclement weather and skyscrapers are the most visible part of the city to migrating birds. Laura Johnson, President of Mass Audubon said, “This is a great day for conservation. Lights Out Boston is a wonderful example of how the city, the business community, and a conservation organization can come together and make a difference for the environment. We all have a role to play in reducing greenhouse gasses in an effort to slow global climate change. And what is good for the environment is good for birds, as well. Some of the most spectacular birds that we see in Massachusetts pass through Boston when migrating between summer and winter grounds – and anything we can do to make their “commute” easier will have a positive impact on their survival. The City of Boston has been nationally recognized as a leader in environmental and energy policy. Boston is the first major city in the nation to require all large private construction projects adhere to the US Green Building Council’s LEED standards and is the largest municipal purchaser of wind power in New England. For these efforts, Boston was recently named the 3rd Greenest City in North America by Popular Science Magazine. “This is yet another example of how leading businesses and non-profits are partnering to advance Mayor Menino’s ambitious green agenda for Boston,” added James W. Hunt, Chief of Environment and Energy Services. “Whether it’s through green buildings, solar and wind power development, or energy efficiency, we continue to demonstrate that we can grow our city and our economy in a way that’s more sustainable.” Today’s announcement launches a pilot phase of Lights Out Boston. Participating partners will evaluate the success of this fall campaign, examining any operational conflicts with an eye toward extending the program into the spring migration season, which starts near March 15, 2009, and ultimately year round. Please visit www.cityofboston.gov/environmentalandenergy or www.massaudubon.org/lightsout for more information.

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