Green Daily

Japanese photo and copy corporation Ricoh is about to make eco-history, in Times Square of all places. By the end of January, they will install a million dollar "Eco-board" billboard, powered entirely by wind and solar power.

The billboard has 16 wind turbines designed specifically for the project. The designers expect the turbines to be able to generate 95% of the power they need from the wind, and if additional power is required, it can be generated by by 64 solar panels.

Even though it was an expensive project to create, Ricoh believe that it was a short-term, up-front investment that will pay dividends down the road.

For one thing, they won't have to pay for energy. Even more importantly, the billboard won't produce any CO2, unlike traditional billboards in the area, which each produce about 18 tons (16 metric tons) of carbon annually.

Now that Ricoh has paid for the R&D, more corporations are expected to follow suit. Won't it be funny -- and awesome -- if Times Square become a shining (and carbon neutral) example of environmental responsibility?