From the New York Times, as the clock heads towards midnight, it appears an icon of the industrial age has been undergoing a green makeover.

Traditionally, the glowing ball dropped in New York City’s Times Square has been powered by incandescent light bulbs. But this year the ball to be dropped has received a green makeover.

The first ball was powered by 100 bulbs, each 25 watts. Last year, the 100th anniversary of the drop, halogen and incandescent lights inside the ball were swapped for lighting generated by light-emitting diodes, or L.E.D.s. The bulbs are a promising technology for eco-friendly lighting because they consume a fraction of the power of an incandescent bulb. Some L.E.D. bulbs can last for years even with constant use. This year the ball, made of crystal triangles, has been doubled in size to measure 12 feet in diameter. It will stay aloft all year long and also features three times as many L.E.D. bulbs (32,256 bulbs to be precise).

That’s it from Greenthinkers for ‘08. See you in ‘09!