MEDIA ADVISORY: LAX GATEWAY PYLONS TO GO DARK IN SUPPORT OF INTERNATIONAL EARTH HOUR, SATURDAY, MARCH 28
WHAT:
The 100-foot-tall LAX Gateway pylons that illuminate the entrance to Los AngelesInternationalAirport (LAX), will light solid green one hour before Earth Hour on Saturday, March 28. Then, during Earth Hour, from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m., the pylons will be turned off as part of a coordinated worldwide effort to raise public awareness of climate change and the need for energy conservation.
(In a related energy conservation effort, a computer power management program got underway this week at LAX and other Los Angeles World Airports facilities. Under this program, computers - CPUs, hard drives and related components - are being placed in a low-power “sleep mode” after one hour of inactivity. Computer monitors will go into “sleep mode” after 20 minutes of inactivity.
(Low-power mode for computers stops the hard disk and turns off other computer components, which decreases power consumption. Simply pressing a key on the keyboard or moving the mouse reactivates the computer in about 30 seconds.
(This power save mode will not be implemented on computer equipment for certain selected offices and activities.)
WHEN: Saturday, March 28, 2009
7:30 to 8:30 p.m. – Pylon lights will go to green.
8:30 to 9:30 p.m. – Pylon lights will turn off.
9: 30 p.m. -- Pylon lights will resume color-changing display.
WHERE: Century Boulevard entryway to Los AngelesInternationalAirport(LAX).
ABOUT EARTH HOUR:
Earth Hour sponsor, World Wildlife Fund, identified Los Angeles as a leader in environmental issues and chose it as a flagship location for Earth Hour. In addition to the LAX Gateway pylons, other famous L.A. landmarks that will turn off their lights during Earth Hour include GettyMuseum, the MusicCenter, Disney Hall, Griffith Park Observatory and City Hall.
Earth Hour officials noted the event is a voluntary power down of non-essential lighting by participants. Lighting necessary for public safety will NOT be turned off.
ABOUT LAX PYLONS:
The LAX Gateway pylons have become a symbolic gateway to Los Angeles since they were first lit in August 2000. In 2005, airport workers installed a new system of light-emitting diode (LED) fixtures that were unavailable in 2000. LEDs are small devices that convert electrical energy directly into light.
Significant cost savings were realized with the new system. The 2,000 LED fixtures in the pylons consume 75 percent less electricity than the previous 736 lamps and burn for 75,000 to 100,000 hours, compared to 3,000 hours for the original lights. With the elimination of moving parts, motors, lamps and filters not required by the new system, maintenance costs also significantly dropped.
The 1.5-mile lineup of 11 translucent, tempered glass columns of increasing height, from 25 to 60 feet along Century Boulevard, culminates with a ring of 15 100-foot-tall columns at the intersection of Century and Sepulveda boulevards. Together, with 32-foot-high “L-A-X” letters facing eastward to welcome incoming motorists, the pylons create what is considered the world’s largest permanent public art light installation. The pylons, oriented skyward and designed to mimic an aircraft takeoff pattern, are visible to airline passengers from 3,000 feet.
The pylons are illuminated in a variety of colors – 16 million color possibilities - and sequences as designed and programmed by lighting artists and airport staff.
CONTACT: Marshall Lowe, LAX Public Relations, (424) 646-5260, or
24-Hour Duty Officer, (310) 523-8994.
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March 26, 2009
