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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PR- 154-10
April 12, 2010

MAYOR BLOOMBERG AND EARTH DAY NEW YORK ANNOUNCE CELEBRATION IN TIMES SQUARE TO MARK 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF EARTH DAY

April 22nd Event Also Marks Third Anniversary of PlaNYC

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Earth Day New York today announced a special commemoration of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day to be held in Times Square on Thursday, April 22nd. The public event will run from 11am to 2pm and feature messages from local, national and international environmental activists, business leaders, government officials and musical guests who are committed to environmental action. The event will take place in the newly created pedestrian plazas in Times Square on Broadway between 45th and 46th streets. As part of the celebration, the public plaza between 42nd and 43rd streets will host information booths on a variety of environmental issues.

"Through PlaNYC, we are transforming New York into a greener, greater city," said Mayor Bloomberg. "The energy that sustains PlaNYC was first created forty years ago when over 100,000 New Yorkers participated in the first Earth Day celebration. We have made tremendous progress, but more remains to be done. By pursuing policies that create jobs and improve our air quality, we continue to prove that being more sustainable isn't just the right thing to do, it's the smart thing."

"Mayor Bloomberg has provided visionary leadership followed by meaningful long term planning and action that has already made a huge difference in the daily lives of New Yorkers," said Pam Lippe, President and Executive Director of Earth Day New York. "Thanks to PlaNYC, New Yorkers and future generations will have a cleaner, greener, more efficient place to live, work and play. We are proud to be working closely with this great Mayor and his Administration on our plans to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day in New York City."

Earth Day also marks the third anniversary of the release of PlaNYC, the City's comprehensive long-term plan to make New York a greener, more sustainable city. The City will release its annual PlaNYC Progress Report on Earth Day, a publication required by a law Mayor Bloomberg signed to make sure PlaNYC will continue through future administrations.

"We have worked hard these last three years to achieve the goals in PlaNYC, and while we have made significant progress, we can't slow down ," said Rohit T. Aggarwala, Director of the Mayor's Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability. "In addition to celebrating global action, Earth Day has become the day in which the Mayor sets his environmental agenda for the year. We need intelligent, coordinated environmental action on the local, national, and international level to meet the challenges before us."

In addition to the Times Square celebration, the City will be organizing a number of events during Earth Week, which takes place April 19-25.







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