[Timetrvlr]

Paris lights up Champs-Elysees with eco-friendly bulbs for holiday

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Holiday lights hang from trees to illuminate the Champs Elysees during rush hour traffic in Paris, Monday, Nov, 26, 2007. Paris lit up the Champs-Elysees on Monday to mark the start of the holiday season. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS/Michel Euler

PARIS - The City of Light will be a little brighter this holiday season, and more energy-efficient too.

At the annual lighting of the trees on the Champs-Elysees on Monday, the famous avenue glittered with close to one million new eco-friendly light bulbs that promise to provide eight times the twinkle, while cutting the electric bill by 70 per cent.

Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe said the display, a joint project by General Electric Co. and French gas company Gaz de France, will stay up longer than usual this year, through mid-January.

"What if we can create a very beautiful memory, be happy together, do something esthetically and artistically good and at the same time use less energy?" Delanoe said.

French singer and actress Vanessa Paradis was among the guests who helped inaugurate this year's festivities. The avenue's 415 trees were dressed with about 30,000 long glass strips that create the effect of lights dripping from the branches.

The lighting of the Champs-Elysees has kicked off the Paris holiday season since 1981. Between 300,000 and 500,000 visitors walk along the stretch between the Arc de Triomphe and the Place de la Concorde every day.

[atula]

well this is a good job done in paris...celebrating but keeping in mind the environmental issue...butthen I was just thinking...if the lights will be there for more time than other years..wont that make the energy consumption about the same as every year???

[tater03]

I thought the exact same thing when I read this. I am not to sure why they would leave them up longer? I mean that just takes somewhat from the less energy used. But it is great that they are looking for other ways of doing things that will use less energy.

[3plus3]

It does seem kind of oxy moronic doesn't it? At least they are attempting to try, though.

[peachy]

Or why can't they just use the same types of lights but in different colours? i.e. just white?

[Timetrvlr]

I don't know, all of our home Christmas lights are LED lights, mostly blue, red and green with a few orange and yellow. This is the second year for about half of them and the third year for the rest. I love 'em and it doesn't cost more than $2.00 to run them six hours a day for four weeks.

[travelforever]

At the annual lighting of the trees on the Champs-Elysees on Monday, the famous avenue glittered with close to one million new eco-friendly light bulbs that promise to provide eight times the twinkle, while cutting the electric bill by 70 per cent.

.[/quote]

Now if NY could follow suit with the neons of Broadway and the 30 Rock tree!!!!

[travelforever]

Originally Posted by Timetrvlr

Paris lights up Champs-Elysees with eco-friendly bulbs for holiday

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Holiday lights hang from trees to illuminate the Champs Elysees during rush hour traffic in Paris, Monday, Nov, 26, 2007. Paris lit up the Champs-Elysees on Monday to mark the start of the holiday season. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS/Michel Euler

PARIS - The City of Light will be a little brighter this holiday season, and more energy-efficient too.

At the annual lighting of the trees on the Champs-Elysees on Monday, the famous avenue glittered with close to one million new eco-friendly light bulbs that promise to provide eight times the twinkle, while cutting the electric bill by 70 per cent.

Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe said the display, a joint project by General Electric Co. and French gas company Gaz de France, will stay up longer than usual this year, through mid-January.

"What if we can create a very beautiful memory, be happy together, do something esthetically and artistically good and at the same time use less energy?" Delanoe said.

French singer and actress Vanessa Paradis was among the guests who helped inaugurate this year's festivities. The avenue's 415 trees were dressed with about 30,000 long glass strips that create the effect of lights dripping from the branches.

The lighting of the Champs-Elysees has kicked off the Paris holiday season since 1981. Between 300,000 and 500,000 visitors walk along the stretch between the Arc de Triomphe and the Place de la Concorde every day.

Now if NY could follow suit with the neons of Broadway and the 30 Rock tree!!!!

[katharina]

Originally Posted by Timetrvlr

The lighting of the Champs-Elysees has kicked off the Paris holiday season since 1981. Between 300,000 and 500,000 visitors walk along the stretch between the Arc de Triomphe and the Place de la Concorde every day.

Good for Paris... it must be so beautiful at this time of year! I don't get
the part about leaving the lights and decorations up longer, either. If it's
important for them to save on the energy, why would they keep them all
lit longer into the new year? It's a head scratcher.