Mayor Manny Diaz observes Miami City Hall's new solar panels from above during the ribbon cutting ceremony. Photo Credit: Jorge R. Perez/City of Miami.

MIAMI  – City of Miami Mayor Manny Diaz has partnered with EcoMedia, a leading environmental media company that operates the award-winning EcoZone Program, and several corporate sponsors to announce a new clean energy system to power City Hall in Miami. During an official ribbon cutting ceremony on April 2, 2008, Mayor Diaz, Green Commission Chairman and City Commissioner Joe Sanchez, and EcoMedia CEO Paul Polizzotto unveiled four state-of-the-art solar panels that will help power City Hall and an interior energy-saving lighting retrofit for the entire building. 

“At Miami City Hall we are going help use the sun to save tax payer dollars by harvesting clean energy,” said Mayor Manny Diaz. “Public Private Partnerships leverage tax payer dollars so we can invest in other critical programs. With Green Initiatives we all win.” 

This most recent environmental initiative for the City is funded through EcoMedia’s EcoZone Program.  In March, The City of Miami was ranked #1 on the Forbes.com list of America’s Cleanest Cities. The efforts to green City Hall will further solidify the City’s standing as not only a clean city but also one that guards the environment for future generations.

“Mayor Diaz and the City of Miami are leading the way by adopting green technologies and making use of clean, renewable energy,” said Paul Polizzotto, Founder and CEO of EcoMedia, the project visionary. “Thanks to a successful public-private partnership, what we have here is a revolutionary model at work – corporate advertising dollars are being used to clean the environment.”

EcoZone funds are providing for two major energy management upgrades to the facility. First, City Hall’s interior lighting system was replaced with state-of-the-art energy efficient lamps and fixtures. Second, a publicly accessible, state-of-the-art photovoltaic system was installed on the facility’s south lawn. Together, these actions will reduce over half of the City Hall lighting load and cut the building’s energy bill by an estimated $9,000 per year. 

In just four years, EcoZone and the City of Miami have accomplished several environmental initiatives such as the City Hall Energy Efficiency Project, the Miami Green Lab, the Miami BayWash Program and the upcoming Miami Tree Canopy Initiative scheduled for May of this year.  These projects demonstrate the City’s commitment to environmental stewardship and smart energy management while improving quality of life of residents. 

Also in Miami, EcoZone’s long-standing relationship with AbTech led to an in-kind sponsorship of the AbTech Smart Sponge, a water sanitizing product that acts as a fine filtration system for the streets. The device is installed inside storm water drains to trap debris, oil, pollution, bacteria, pathogens and trash from entering waterways.  A collaborative effort led by the EcoZone program, AbTech and its Florida distributor, GlobeTec Construction, supported the installation and maintenance of the Smart Sponge on City Hall property and throughout the city.

Current and previous EcoZone Program sponsors include APL, Hyatt Regency, Miami Herald, Mercy Hospital, Kimco Realty, AbTech, Panther Real Estate Partners, the Romano Group, Method, Wild Oats, Terra Cycle, Nestle Waters’ Zephyrhills brand, Royal Caribbean, Waste Management, FPL, WCI Communities, Ferrous Processing, Publix Supermarkets and Montenay/Onyx.

“The support we’re getting from the City of Miami and our many generous sponsors is exactly what we need to carry out EcoMedia’s vision of creating solutions for environmental challenges,” said Polizzotto. “Corporations are going to spend money on advertising anyway, so why not do it in a responsible way that improves the quality of life and the environment.”

In addition to forming partnerships with businesses and governments to fund environmental programs, EcoMedia has forged several alliances in the media industry to provide a green medium for those with a green message. Recently, EcoMedia has announced partnerships with Worldwide Pants Incorporated (WPI), the Emmy Award-winning production company created by David Letterman, Kiwi magazine, a bi-monthly consumer publication that promotes healthy family lifestyle, and Kimco Realty, the nation’s leading owner and operator of shopping centers where EcoZone kiosks use advertising dollars to fund local environmental programs.

                                  ###

About Mayor Diaz’s Sustainable Initiatives
Mayor Diaz has launched a proactive and ambitious environmental program to clean streets, waterways, brown fields, storm drains, as well as improve air and water quality. His initiatives included the largest ever Adopt-A-Waterway project, Miami’s first Citywide Tree Master Plan, and the introduction of a Green Fleet – requiring all City vehicles to meet or exceed fuel efficient standards. Mayor Diaz has also created the City of Miami Green Commission to bring together a cross section of local experts and community representatives that will help mold the City’s environmental policy in the areas of Climate Action, Green Buildings, Urban Forestry and Bicycle Transportation. The Mayor has spearheaded public-private partnerships to promote sustainable initiatives with a variety of groups, including the World Wildlife Fund, EcoMedia, and United States Green Building Council. Under Mayor Diaz’s leadership, the City of Miami also became of only three member cities of The Climate Group. These initiatives include Earth Hour 2008, the City Hall Energy Efficiency Retrofit Project, and the Miami Green Lab. For more information on the Mayor’s Green Agenda, please visit www.MiamiGov.com/Mayor. 

About EcoMedia and EcoZone
EcoMedia is the world's premier environmental media company, dedicated to pioneering marketing and media programs which help companies connect to consumers while generating necessary resources to address critical environmental challenges. EcoMedia and its flagship EcoZone Program were founded in 2002 with the mission to create solutions for environmental problems with all partners involved – business, government, environmental advocates and the community. The company utilizes its traditional media offerings such as television, radio, out-of-home, online, interactive and event marketing to help corporations build their business. In turn, revenues are generated and used to make a positive environmental difference in the communities in which these companies and their employees live, work and do business. Many companies claim to be “green”, but the companies that work with EcoMedia and the EcoZone Program are actually making an impact on the environment. That’s the EcoMedia Difference. Visit www.ecozonemedia.com or www.ecozone.tv for more information.