Snow or no snow, this Christmas in NYC will be decidedly green. Tonight marks the 75th annual lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree – often called the world’s most famous tree, and the same one cut down a few weeks ago in Connecticut using one of Lehman’s two-man crosscut saws (see my post on this event). The event is televised on NBC, starting at 8pm (check your local listings) and will feature a star-studded musical lineup and several celebrity appearances.
This year’s tree cutting was virtually carbon-neutral (thanks to the old-fashioned saw), and the space it inhabited will be “re-greened.” The majestic, 84-foot tree will be festooned with over 30,000 energy-efficient LED lights, powered by “a ground breaking permanent array of photovoltaic panels” installed on the roof of 45 Rockefeller Center. (After the holidays, the panels will continue to help power the center.)
And, this is very cool: after the tree’s taken down (about Jan. 8, 2008), it will be milled and returned to Rockefeller Center as green lumber. There, volunteers will build door frames that will be used by Habitat For Humanity in building projects in NYC, the Gulf Coast, Brazil and India.
Read more about this year’s “greener than ever” tree here, and enjoy the lighting ceremony tonight!
