(Los Angeles, CA) On Saturday, March 24, Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) will join hundreds of landmarks, cities, and eco-conscious people in recognition of Earth Hour by lighting its iconic gateway pylons green – then going dark – for one hour.
The pylons, which line 1.5 miles of Century Boulevard, and grow in height from 25 to 60 feet before culminating in a ring of 15, 100-foot columns at the entrance to LAX, will be lit green before the Earth Hour observation. Between 8:30 and 9:30 p.m., the pylons will be turned off in unison with lights at other city-owned buildings and famed structures across Los Angeles and around the world. Lighting required for public safety will not be turned off during the event.
“From energy conservation to choosing greener ways to operate our airports, Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) has been a leader in airport sustainability, and we’re committed to continuing to be on the cutting edge of environmentalism,” said Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners President, Sean Burton. “Our Board of Airport Commissioners takes great pride in helping LAX and Van Nuys realize their potential as green airports, and we will continue to help them achieve even greater, greener heights in the years to come.”
The LAX Gateway Pylons glowing green, just before turning off for one hour for Earth Hour 2017.
“Delivering a gold-standard airport is only possible through a commitment to sustainability and environmental leadership, as evidenced by the policies and programs that have been implemented to help improve our environmental footprint,” said Deputy Executive Director for LAWA’s Environmental Programs Group, Samantha Bricker. “Earth Hour may only last sixty minutes, but LAWA’s environmental efforts continue throughout the year, affecting the lives of local residents and positively impacting communities throughout the region.”
Both LAWA airports are carbon-accredited by Airports Council International, with LAX at Level 3, and VNY at Level 2. ACI’s Airport Carbon Accreditation signifies an airport’s demonstrated, measured, and verified commitment to reducing its carbon footprint. LAX’s accreditation at “Level 3 – Optimization” recognizes LAWA’s commitment to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by LAWA and its partners who operate at the airport to 45 percent of 1990 levels by 2025. Van Nuys Airport has been accredited at “Level 2 – Reduction” for its work to reduce GHG emissions released by LAWA-owned and operated properties there by 5 percent.
In conjunction with The Bay Foundation, LAWA regularly invites volunteers from the general public and local community groups and businesses to assist us and our partners with habitat restoration in the LAX Dunes.
LAWA’s future is also green, as the forthcoming Landside Access Modernization Program (LAMP) and Midfield Satellite Concourse (MSC) projects will provide state-of-the-art green measures upon completion. This includes the automated people mover, which will benefit from regenerative breaking technology and a partially solar-powered maintenance depot.
LAWA is also debuting “LAWA – Leading the Way for the Environment,” a new video that will introduce people to the wide variety of environmental sustainability initiatives at LAX and VNY. As owner and operator of the second-busiest airport in the nation, LAWA’s environmental sustainability areas include energy conservation (inclusive of water and electricity), eco-conscious construction, and noise mitigation, as well as efforts unique to an airport environment, such as wildlife habitat restoration and clean power generation. “LAWA – Leading the Way for the Environment” features beautiful footage that takes the viewer along a brief, yet informative tour. It rel="noopener noreferrer" can be viewed at https://tinyurl.com/lawaenviro.
The new video includes:
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LAX’s Central Utility Plant: The new CUP came fully online in 2015, and saves an estimated 6.5 kilowatt hours of electricity annually. By using co-generation technology to turn natural gas into heating and cooling for the airport’s terminals, it helps us take a sustainable and innovative approach to energy management.
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Alternative Fuels for Fleet Vehicles: Over two-thirds of our airport fleet vehicles use alternative fuels, with 68 percent of these using compressed natural gas. Through the recent adoption of the Airport Alternative Fuel Policy by the Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissionerslast year, we’re poised to reduce our emissions even further.
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Aircraft Biofuel Introduction: United, KLM, and Qantas all use biofuels on select routes, which can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by anywhere from 30 to 50 percent.
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Habitat Restoration: The LAX Dunes is home to 900 plant and animal species, including the endangered El Segundo Blue Butterfly. Through our partnerships with local non-profit organizations, state agencies, and volunteers from the community, we’re working hard to restore one of the state’s most unique and valuable ecological treasures.
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Water Conservation: 396,000 gallons of water a day are saved by LAX’s water conservation initiatives. That’s enough to provide one Californian with water for 15 years at current consumption rates.
International Earth Hour began in Sydney, Australia, in 2007 with a single lights-off event. Since then, the occasion has grown into an observance recognized in more than 7,000 cities in 187 countries and territories with thousands of monuments turning off their lights in 2017. The public and businesses are encouraged to participate by turning off non-essential lighting for one hour in support of actions to combat global warming and encourage a cleaner, safer, and more sustainable future.
For more information, see our Earth Hour 2018 infographic (available for social media use) here:
