NY to reduce greenhouse emissions

New York City has begun an ambitious project to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2030.

The first symbolic change has already occurred in the lights on the famous Rockefeller Center Christmas tree - it now has energy-saving bulbs.

The lights on the Brooklyn Bridge will also be replaced next year with low-energy bulbs, costing $500,000.

Since they last three-times longer than conventional bulbs, the city is expected to make long-term savings.

New York is going "green" - that is the headline billionaire Mayor Michael Bloomberg wants to see going into the New Year, as he starts to tackle the huge energy costs of a city that accounts for a whole 1% of America's carbon emissions.

New hybrid police and fire vehicles will also be phased in, along with hybrid garbage trucks, subject to a trial period.

Lower-cost lighting in schools and municipal buildings is also planned.

These short-term projects should achieve a greenhouse gas reduction of 34,000 tonnes per year - which is relatively modest set against the city's carbon footprint of almost 60 million tonnes each year.

Most of the total emissions are due to the energy demands of New York's famous skyscrapers.

The city estimates that urban buildings account for almost 80%.

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