The world’s most famous Christmas tree is going green(er). The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree will be lit with LEDs and solar panels this year in an effort to encourage Americans to consider eco-friendly choices this holiday season.

Five miles of wire will host the 30,000 lights, which will replace the incandescent bulbs used in previous years. The solar panels will contribute to the lighting of the tree and continue their usefulness next summer, when the city grid hovers near capacity because of the use of air-conditioning during warm weather. And if that’s not environmentally friendly enough for you, once the tree is taken down in January, it will be cut into lumber and used to build houses for Habitat for Humanity.

The lighting of the tree – a hallmark of New York holiday tradition since 1931 – will take place on November 28.

» MSNBC News