San Francisco Parks Lighting Upgrades Save Energy Costs and Reduce CO2 Emissions Thanks to CBS’ EcoMedia and Cirque du Soleil's EcoAd

(3BL Media) San Francisco – October 25, 2011 – CBS EcoMedia Inc. (“EcoMedia”), San Francisco Recreation and Park Department,  unveiled today a park lighting system retrofit at a baseball diamond, Moscone Ball Diamond at Laguna and Chestnut Streets in San Francisco.  Jackson Ball Diamond and Lang Ball Diamond were also retrofitted with the system.

The EcoAd grant provided funding to support the installation of Musco Control-Link lighting timer systems at the three ball diamonds to enable remote adjustments to park lighting schedules, so that lights are not in operation and are not wasting energy when the fields are not in use.  The project will save the city an estimated 132,050 kWh per year in energy consumption, reduce CO2 emissions by 62.6 metric tones per year and save taxpayers over $22,000 per year in energy costs.

On hand for the unveiling were:  Phil Ginsburg, General Manager of San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, David Assmann, Deputy Director of SF Environment, Mark Farrell District 2 Supervisor, Karen Gay, Director Global Citizenship US, Cirque du Soleil,  Ron Longinotti, President and General Manager of CBS 5 TV, and Paul Polizzotto, President & Founder, EcoMedia.

“Having grown up playing ball at Moscone Playground, I can appreciate keeping the fields open and accessible to our youth for as many hours a day as possible. These new remote lighting systems are not only energy conscious, but they are also allowing access to these fields which helps to promote health and wellness in our children.” said District 2 Supervisor Mark Farrell.   

“In an era when we are fighting for the survival of our city parks, it’s extremely refreshing to have companies like EcoMedia and Cirque du Soleil step up and help make a difference. The new remote lighting system at three city playfields will help save staff time and energy and allow us to focus our resources on providing more opportunities for kids to get out and play” said Phil Ginsburg, General Manager of San Francisco Recreation and Park Department.

“Cirque du Soleil is well-known for theatrical creativity and innovation; it’s very fitting that, along with the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department, we’re partners in this venture – which is a creative and innovative solution to the city’s financial and environmental challenges.

We’re thrilled that Cirque du Soleil has embraced our mission, to nurture healthy communities nationwide, and we’re so excited to be a part of the energy efficiency projects at Moscone, Jackson, and Lang Ball Diamonds” said Paul Polizzotto, President and Founder EcoMedia.

 “Ecomedia has been a valued partner with the Department of the Environment and the City of San Francisco for the past three years, providing crucial funding to ensure the success of innovative environmental projects. This is the latest in a series of important projects funded through the EcoAd program” said David Assmann, Deputy Director, SF Environment.

All EcoAds advertisements feature the EcoAd leaf which is a visible indicator that the brand is sponsoring important, local environmental projects such as solar installations, energy efficiency retrofits or the ‘greening” of schools, affordable housing and municipal buildings.

About San Francisco Recreation and Park Department

The San Francisco Recreation and Park Department administers over 220 neighborhood parks and playgrounds, and over 4,000 acres of recreational and open spaces. The system includes more than 25 full-complex recreation centers and 44 clubhouses as well as 22 premier soccer pitches, 10 swimming pools, 6 golf courses, 132 tennis courts, 145 ball diamonds, 72 basketball courts, 35 community gardens, and 27 off-leash dog areas. The Department provides nearly 800,000 San Franciscans with essential opportunities to maintain healthy, active lifestyles through its mission to provide enriching recreational activities, maintain beautiful parks, and preserve the environment for the well-being of its diverse community. For more information, please visit www.parks.sfgov.org.

About CBS EcoMedia Inc.

At EcoMedia we're propelled by the desire to create positive social change; that's been our mission since we founded the company in 2002.  Our premise:  That the billions of dollars spent annually in advertising represent a tremendous reservoir of untapped resources – resources that should be directed toward bricks-and-mortar projects which benefit local communities.  We develop and nurture a wide-ranging network of partnerships with municipal governments and NGOs nationwide, and connect them with corporations eager to improve the quality of life in the communities they serve.

The result is our EcoAd program, a profoundly innovative twist on traditional advertising, which we have protected through a robust patent portfolio development program.  Through our proprietary service we are able to efficiently redirect a portion of every EcoAd-branded media buy to fund much-needed environmental projects in communities all across the country.

The EcoAd program aims to create jobs, save taxpayer money and improve the environment.  In the process, we're fundamentally altering the advertising landscape, elevating the ordinary commercial – and socially responsible media, in general – into a catalyst for real, quantifiable, and measurable change.   

EcoAd is not a certification program, nor is the EcoAd logo a seal of approval.  EcoMedia does not in any way certify, endorse or make any representations about EcoAd advertisers, their products or services. For more information visit www.ecoad.cbs.com. 

About Cirque du Soleil

Cirque du Soleil - from a group of 20 street performers at its beginnings in 1984, Cirque du Soleil is a major Québec-based organization providing high-quality artistic entertainment. The company has 5,000 employees, including more than 1,300 artists from more than 50 different countries. Cirque du Soleil has brought wonder and delight to more than 100 million spectators in more than 300 cities on six continents. For more information about Cirque du Soleil, visit www.cirquedusoleil.com.

About SF Environment

The mission of the City and County of San Francisco Department of the Environment (SF Environment) is to promote innovative policies and programs to protect the urban and natural environment, promote social equity and expand the green economy visit www.sfenvironment.org. 

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MEDIA CONTACTS:

Akilah Bolden-Monifa, CBS 5, amonifa@cbs.com 415 760 0688

Janice Sakamoto, Janice.sakamoto@ecomediacbs.com 310 871 6889

Elton Pon, Elton.Pon@sfgov.org 415