Earth Day is a nationally recognized day for inspiring environmental awareness and mobilizing individuals to take action.

At the Earth Day Fair, there will be events, interactive presentations, and live performances. Attendees can learn simple tips for going green in their every day lives and meet basketball legend AC Green along with their favorite Laker Girl.

Please join us on Sunday, April 22 for a full day of entertainment and education!

Click here for more information on L.A. LIVE’s Earth Day Fair.

Earth Hour is the world's largest annual public action for the environment. Every year, Earth Hour supporters turn off non-essential lighting for one hour to send a symbolic message that we must take action, now, to fight climate change.

AEG has been participating in Earth Hour for the past four years. On March 31st, over 50 AEG-affiliated venues across the world, including L.A. LIVE, STAPLES Center, and NOKIA Theatre here in L.A. will turn off their facades, marquees, and other lights to go dark for the event.

Join us in this collective display of a commitment to a better future. Turn out your lights for one hour beginning at 8:30pm on March 31, 2012.

Click here for more information on participating in the World Wildlife Fund's Earth Hour

Support for Farmers Field is even stronger among residents within a two-mile radius of the project, with 82% support.

According to John Fairbank, founding partner of the polling group FM3, support for the project is grounded in citywide confidence of the benefits of the stadium:

The primary support is residents’ confidence that this project will create jobs and stimulate economic growth throughout the City…

More than two-thirds of residents believe the project will have a positive impact on both ‘the condition of the City of Los Angeles economy’ (72%) and on ‘the number of good paying jobs in the City of Los Angeles’ (67%).

The survey also finds the private funding of the project to be a major incentive for support:

We also found that residents were reassured when they learned that this privately funded project will not cost tax payers any money and that there are safeguards that will insure that AEG is held accountable for delivering on all of their promises and will pay for cost overruns…

Click here for the survey results.

_{Between March 20-27 2011, Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz and Associates conducted telephone interviews among a random sample of 500 adult residents of Los Angeles. The margin of error for these results is +/- 4.4% at the 95% confidence level.}

Los Angeles Convention Center general manager and CEO Pouria Abbassi went into further detail about the planned renovations and expansions: 

The Los Angeles Convention Center modernization component of the event center development project will replace the four decade old West Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center with a modern facility contiguous with the South Hall exhibition space.

He also discussed the benefits these changes will have towards attracting top national events and conventions: 

The flexibility and efficiency inherent in contiguous exhibit hall design is considered an attractive feature to event organizers and planners.

The new LACOEX (short for L.A. convention center and exhibition hall) will have a total of 1.7 million gross square feet. The state-of-the-art facility will propel Los Angeles to #5 in U.S. convention centers, compared to #15 now. 

Check out a couple of the new renderings and the new convention center floor plan below: 

And watch our video on the new Convention Center for another look at the benefits it will have on downtown Los Angeles.

It won't just be festivities and fervor hitting Indianapolis when Super Bowl XLVI comes to town. The 2012 Super Bowl Host Committee recently completed an exciting new initiative, the 1st and Green Challenge, that is having a huge impact on our environment.

The 1st and Green Challenge encouraged individuals, households and groups to make a difference in their environment through the offsetting of carbon emissions and saving water. Participants logged everyday activities they did to achieve these goals, like taking shorter showers, carpooling, and using alternative forms of transportation.

The Challenge ended on January 13th, and the winner in each category will be recognized in the Village, the 10-day attraction leading up to the Super Bowl.

Incredibly, participants in 1st and Green offset 1,391,318 pounds of carbon and saved 2,333,171gallons of water!

But that's not all the 2012 Super Bowl is doing to go green. Over the next few weeks we'll be sharing some of the 2012 Super Bowl's environmental efforts, and posting Super Bowl green tips to help you prepare for the big game.

Head over to the 1st and Green Challenge to see their great work, and stay tuned for more updates.

In September, Governor Brown signed SB 292, a bill that will make Farmers Field one of the most environmentally friendly stadiums in the United States, while protecting the project from frivolous lawsuits.

During the bill's signing, Governor Brown discussed the many benefits that Farmers Field will bring to downtown L.A.:

"It's time for big thinking and big projects that put Californians back to work. Projects like Farmers Field can create thousands of jobs during a tough economic time, so it is imperative for the state to cut the red tape that could delay projects like this for years. These bills strike the right balance between protecting our environment and kick-starting jobs and investment in California."

Farmers Field is proud of the momentous progress that was made in 2011. With the continued help and support of Governor Brown, the California state legislature, the Los Angeles City Council and all Angelenos, we look forward to breaking ground on the stadium in 2012 and finally bringing football back to Los Angeles!

Click here to download the full report on 2011 milestones and accomplishments from Governor Brown.

The Verizon Training Ground is the ultimate experience for football fans in Los Angeles, with games and trivia that will challenge all:

• Spike the ball and show your best touchdown dance in Rule the End Zone
• Demonstrate your deadly accuracy in Rule the Pass
• Blow by the competition with our speed drills in Rule the Play
• Show off your knowledge with football trivia

And after you're done competing against your family and friends, don't forget to stick around to meet some of California's most notable football legends.

Saturday, December 17: Hall of Fame running back Marcus Allen will stop by from 2pm-4pm

Sunday, December 18: Hall of Fame defensive back Ronnie Lott will be there from 1pm-3pm, and linebacker great Junior Seau from 3:45pm-5:30pm

Monday, December 19: Visit with Heisman Trophy winning wide receiver Tim Brown from 3pm-5pm.

There is no better way to spend a weekend in L.A. than testing your football skills and meeting legendary football players. Stop by the Verizon Training Ground from December 17-19.

Click here for complete details on the Verizon Training Ground Event

That's why we're dedicating our social media on Wednesdays to environmentally conscious content.

Beginning today, Farmers Field will deliver fun environmental facts, information on how you can green your everyday life and the steps we are taking to make sure the stadium meets the environmental standards that are of vital importance to the greater Los Angeles Community and us.

So make sure you follow @Farmers Field on Twitter and like Farmers Field on Facebook to take advantage of the Farmers Field Green Wednesday tips and facts!

Congratulations to Tarrah B. of Los Angeles. Her truly impressive submission, dressed up as the Heisman Trophy, received the most votes. Tarrah is the L.A. Fan Finder contest winner, and L.A.’s ultimate football fan!

We hope Tarrah had a great time at the American Music Awards last night.

But Tarrah wasn’t the only big winner of the contest. We’d also like to congratulation “Tommy Trojan” Travis S. of Orange, our second place winner of an MVP experience at ESPN Zone L.A. LIVE, and UCLA football fanatic Terri J. of Los Angeles, who came in third place and won two tickets to an L.A. Kings game.

And the two voters in the contest who won the custom Farmers Field jersey are Penny M. and Emiliano H.!

We had a great time seeing all of our supporters showing their fandom for L.A. Football. You can check out the ten finalists’ photos, and some of our other favorites on our Facebook album by clicking here.

Like Farmers Field on Facebook and check out the photos today!

Los Angeles-based architectural firm Gensler has released new images of the latest design scheme for the Farmers Field stadium and event center. The unveiling of the new images was part of a stadium project update by AEG and ICON Venue Group.

The Tuesday afternoon press conference included a project update from Tim Romani, President and CEO of ICON Venue Group, which serves as AEG’s Owners Representative for Farmers Field. Romani praised Gensler’s work on the stadium’s design:

We have really challenged the Gensler team to create a unique design for Farmers Field that is destined to become another distinguished signature building for Los Angeles and at the same time a remarkable achievement in venue functionality and sustainability…This stadium and event center will be like nothing you’ve ever seen or experienced.”

Farmers Field will serve as the home of Los Angeles’ new NFL football team while providing conventions booked at the Los Angeles Convention with an additional indoor configuration should they require more space.

Gensler, ICON Venue Group, and AEG are taking a highly innovative approach to the process of converting the stadium to an enclosed environment, with the goal of creating a revolutionary deployable roof solution without unnecessary conversion durations. According to Gensler Principal Ron Turner:

“Designing a world-class large scale venue, capable of creating the perfect environment to host both indoor and outdoor events, goes far beyond the retractable roof solutions of the past…Our charge is not only to design a stadium that offers the ideal outdoor NFL experience but also to have a fully enclosable facility that creates an equally appealing location and atmosphere for indoor events and conventions.

Farmers Field remains on schedule to file a draft Environmental Impact Report with the City of Los Angeles in 2012. Ground will break on the stadium and event center later in the year, with design and construction complete and ready for the 2016 NFL season.

Check out the new stadium renderings below. Click each image to download a full-size version of the rendering.

Click image, then right click and "save as" to download full-size version.

Click image, then right click and "save as" to download full-size version.

Click image, then right click and "save as" to download full-size version.

Click image, then right click and "save as" to download full-size version.

Click image, then right click and "save as" to download full-size version.

Click image, then right click and "save as" to download full-size version.

Diehard football fans all over L.A., decked out in black and silver, blue and yellow, powder blue, and cardinal and gold are showing us their love for the teams they support on the gridiron. Every day we receive submissions urging us to “Fight on” and 8-clap.

If you haven’t had a chance to enter our L.A. Fan Finder Contest, make sure you head over to our submission page and enter today.

Entering is simple. Snap a photo (or find one you’ve already taken on Facebook or Flickr) that shows your pride for your team on the gridiron, then upload it on our contest page and provide a short caption.

On November 7th we’re going to narrow the contest down to our ten favorites, then its up to Angelenos to decide who L.A.’s ultimate football fan is.

And we have some great prizes to give away to the top vote getters.

The person with the most votes wins two tickets to the American Music Awards. Second place wins a $200 gift certificate with MVP priority seating for a Monday Night Football game at ESPN Zone L.A. LIVE. Third place takes home two tickets to a Los Angeles Kings game.

Make sure you enter the L.A. Fan Finder contest today!

http://www.farmersfield.com/page/s/la-fan-finder

Jack Youngblood poses for pictures with fans. Photo courtesy of Photography by Christopher Grisanti

Footballs fans got a chance to revisit Los Angeles' rich football history last Sunday as former L.A. Ram and Hall of Famer Jack Youngblood visited ESPN Zone L.A. LIVE. Legendary sports commentator Joe McDonnell hosted the event.

The ESPN Zone's Screening Room was packed with fans decked out in their Rams blue, white, and gold as Jack spoke about the golden age of L.A. football. He recounted his memories of playing in L.A., and shared some good laughs onstage with former teammate Fred Dryer.

The planned location of Farmers Field is only steps away from ESPN Zone L.A. LIVE, THE place to watch college and professional football in downtown L.A.

Check out our Facebook album with pictures from the event.

The bill signing took place at the site of what will become the new Pico Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center, and featured speeches from Governor Brown, Mayor Villaraigosa, Assembly Speaker John A. Perez, President Pro Tem of the State Senate Darrell Steinberg, AEG President & CEO Tim Leiweke, and Maria Elena Durazo of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor.

You can watch highlights of the bill signing by clicking "play" below.

Governor Brown lauded Farmers Field for creating thousands of jobs during tough economic times as one of the main reasons for his support of the bill:

Projects like Farmers Field can create thousands of jobs during a tough economic time, so it is imperative for the state to cut the red tape that could delay projects like this for years. These bills strike the right balance between protecting our environment and kick-starting jobs and investment in California.

Mayor Villaraigosa spoke of the importance of creating world-class facilities to maintain Los Angeles' spot as one of the top tourist destinations in the world:

Part of what makes L.A. special is that we're an incredible tourist destination. People from all over the planet come to L.A. to see where the world creates and innovates. To make the most of our status as a tourist attraction, we need world-class facilities. That's why Farmers Field and the new convention center are so important.

Assembly Speaker Perez described the work that was done to find a compromise that benefits Angelenos and Californians as a whole:

I put together a working group of legislatures that dedicated long hours to finding compromise. To bringing the business community, the labor community, and the environmental community together to make sure we achieved our goal of streaming, but also protected all the key environmental standards that Californians hold dear.

SB 292, authored by State Senator Alex Padilla, provides Farmers Field with crucial protections against lawsuits by opponents of the project aimed at derailing the stadium's groundbreaking, and the thousands of jobs that will come with it. It also makes Farmers Field the most environmentally friendly stadium in the United States. Farmers Field will be carbon neutral, and will have the lowest ratio of "cars per game day ticket holder" in the NFL.

This mega-project, the largest in the Western US, will generate at least $1.6 billion in combined construction spending for Farmers Field and the modernization and expansion of the LA Convention Center (LACC). Studies estimate that 12,000 jobs will be created during construction with an additional 11,000 jobs required for operation, plus 7,000 to 10,000 more jobs in related industries.

Click here to read State Senator Wyland’s letter of support.

State Senator Sharon Runner, a co-author of the bill, spoke of the important protections SB 292 puts into place for the Farmers Field project:

…our challenge in the Legislature was to write legislation that would speed up CEQA’s notoriously slow litigation processes to keep the Farmers Field project from being stalled or killed, while simultaneously preserving every important element of the CEQA process…The bill limits the potential for litigation abuse by competitors or financially driven opponents that can delay or kill growth generating mega-projects such as Farmers Field.

Click here to read State Senator Runner’s letter of support.

Assemblymember Luis Alejo heralded Farmers Field’s potential as a model for eco-friendly development in the future:

…this truly visionary project will create one of the largest and greenest entertainment districts in the world in the urban core of our state’s largest city. With AEG’s commitment to carbon neutrality and mixed use transit options under SB 292, Farmers Field and the new LACC will become a cutting edge model emulated worldwide.

Click here to read Assemblymember Alejo’s letter of support.

(Left to Right: Steve Bing, Founder of Shangri-La Industries; Tim Leiweke, President & CEO, AEG; former President Bill Clinton; Casey Wasserman, Chairman & CEO, Wasserman Media Group)

The Clinton Global Initiative added its weight today to an already prestigious list of supporters for AEG's Farmers Field in Los Angeles.

CGI recognized Farmers Field as the first LEED-certified stadium in the NFL, and AEG as one of the world's most environmentally conscious venue operators. The two organizations will work together to monitor the stadium's environmental impacts.

"I commend AEG as a model socially responsible company that is the hallmark of CGI," said former President Clinton, "Farmers Field will be another true example of their mission to marry design, innovation, social responsibility and community engagement."

Farmer's Field is legally required to be 100% carbon neutral for all auto emissions to and from the stadium, achieved in part through public transit infrastructure designed to offset fans' auto travel.

AEG will also go above and beyond what is legally required by achieving carbon neutrality for all emissions related to energy consumption and mechanical operation of the stadium.

"Investing in sustainable construction and weaving carbon and waste programs into the fabric of a venue, its operations, and its surroundings creates the lowest impact on our environment," said S. Richard Fedrizzi, President, CEO and Founding Chairman of the U.S. Green Building Council.

Dr. Allen Hershkowitz, PhD., Senior Scientist at the National Resources Defense Council said the "NRDC applauds AEG's commitment to operate the most energy efficient football stadium in the nation at Farmers Field. Given AEG's proven record as the worlds' greenest arena operator and its commitment to work with environmental and community groups in developing its plan, I have every confidence that this goal will be achieved."

Additional measures, including water conservation, recycling and composting programs, and charitable donation initiatives give Farmers Field the "most comprehensive environmental program in the sports and entertainment industry," said Tim Leiweke, AEG president and CEO. He continued, "Our CGI Commitment to Action underscores AEG's dedication and accountability for making this vision a reality. We are honored to be recognized by President Clinton and this prestigious organization."

Importantly, SB 292, carried by state Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima) and coauthored by a geographically and ideologically broad group of legislators, does not exempt AEG from any of the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act.

And discusses the steps AEG will take to make Farmers Field the most environmentally friendly stadium in the country:

…AEG has promised to go beyond what state environmental law demands. The new facility would have to be the most environmentally sound in the NFL, and it would have to be carbon-neutral, which the developer can achieve by maximizing the use of public transportation and other improvements.

Ultimately, the Op-Ed concludes that the details of the legislation make it a win-win for everyone involved:

This bargain, then, benefits the environment and green-lights a project that promises tens of thousands of jobs, substantial new tax revenue and the revitalization of Los Angeles' struggling Convention Center. That is too much to pass up.

Passage of SB 292 is an important step in the process of bringing Farmers Field to Los Angeles. The protections will help keep the project on schedule to break ground, and bring thousands of jobs to Los Angeles, next year.

Click here for more information on the proposed legislation.

The measure by Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima) would allow legal challenges to the stadium's environmental impact report to be heard immediately in the state court of appeals, which would have between 150 and 175 days to rule. That would avoid protracted litigation.

In exchange, AEG would pledge to build a carbon-neutral stadium with more public transit users than any other stadium in the country.

Early reactions from lawmakers was very positive:

Los Angeles legislators with strong environmental credentials also were pushing for the bill. "Under expedited judicial review, we can bring jobs to this community while building a carbon-neutral stadium that will prioritize transit more than any other NFL stadium," said Assemblyman Bob Blumenfield (D-Woodland Hills).

Under the bill, Farmers Field will become one of the only NFL stadiums in the United States to have a net zero carbon footprint.

AEG will also guarantee that the transportation plans for the stadium would give AEG the lowest “cars per football game ticket holder” ratio in the country.

With AEG already pledging to complete a full Environmental Impact Report and achieve LEED certification construction, Farmers Field will be the most environmentally friendly stadium in the country.

Click here to visit "A Greener Stadium" and learn more about Farmers Field's environmental programs.

An organization of Los Angeles County cities that had endorsed a proposal for an NFL stadium on the east side of the county is now supporting plans for a downtown stadium instead, the group's leader said Wednesday.

Citing short and long-term economic benefits, the Independent Cities Association (ICA) announced their formal Resolution of Endorsement for the Farmers Field stadium and L.A. Convention Center modernization project earlier today.

The ICA is an organization of elected official representing 54 municipalities and 7.1 million residents across Los Angeles County.

A substantial increase in Measure R funding and new independent fiscal analysis by Metropolitan Research & Economics calculating net tax contributions of more than $41 million annually were key reasons for ICA’s endorsement of Farmers Field.

Measure R allocates half a percent of all L.A. County sales tax revenue to projects in all L.A. County Cities that increase individual mobility and public transit options, helping to make L.A. County’s transportation system a leading 21st century model. The new sales tax revenue will go to the City and County of L.A. general funds, L.A. Unified School District, and the MTA. 

The Resolution of Endorsement also noted that ICA members would see huge benefits from 23,000 new jobs created by the project and $1.3 billion in total construction expenditures by AEG over the next four years. The estimated 560,000 plus convention and event attendees drawn to the Los Angeles area by the modernized and expanded convention center will also help L.A. County.

Richard Montgomery, President of ICA and Councilmember of Manhattan Beach, said:

After carefully vetting AEG’s Farmers Field project in substantial detail, ICA Board Members are not only convinced of the project’s enormous economic benefits to the region, but are inspired by the visionary thinking and confidence in the region’s future that this project embodies.

ICA has member cities spanning the San Fernando, San Gabriel, Santa Clarita, and Los Angeles valleys. The ICA Board of Directors is composed of Mayors and City Councilmembers from all 54 member cities.

The ICA joins a growing list of community and civic organizations, trade unions and associations, and local businesses who have endorsed Farmers Field.

Click here to see other organizations endorsing the Farmers Field project.

Click here to read the full press release on the Independent Cities Association's endorsement.

The positive impact of this project will be felt from the start. Farmers Field is a welcome bright spot on the economic horizon for our small businesses and their thousands of employees.

These business leaders represent new additions to the growing list of organizations that have endorsed the Farmers Field project.

We are honored to have the support of these great minority business organizations and associations, and look forward to working with them to bring Farmers Field to Los Angeles.

We are proud to have the support of these great organizations.

Click here for a list of organizations endorsing Farmers Field, and for video messages from some of the project’s supporters.

We need you to help put a face to the thousands of Farmers Field supporters. Just by attending you will send an in-person message to the Council members: Los Angeles is ready for the thousands of jobs, billions in revenue, and professional football Farmers Field will bring with it. You can even speak on behalf of Farmers Field, but you don’t have to.

Follow the link below to RSVP for the City Council meeting on Friday.

http://www.farmersfield.com/page/s/city-council-rsvp

After you RSVP, check out this video of Tim Leiweke, President and CEO of AEG, talking with Conan Nolan on News Conference about the recently completed Memorandum of Understanding that will be debated on Friday:

View more videos at: http://nbclosangeles.com.

Following months of intensive negotiations with representatives from the City of Los Angeles, we are pleased to have finalized a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the City that will enable the Farmers Field and the Los Angeles Convention Center modernization project to move forward to the next stage. We are confident that following their review of the MOU, the Mayor, City Council and other officials will endorse this framework for a project that will boost the City’s convention, hospitality and tourism sector, stimulate economic activity in the region and generate sorely needed jobs.

The general principles of the proposed transaction remain consistent with the original vision we laid out earlier this year, namely that Farmers Field will be entirely privately funded and the construction of a new state-of-the-industry convention hall, slated to replace the existing West Hall, will be accomplished without cost to the taxpayers. However, thanks to the commendable efforts of the City’s negotiating team, we have fashioned an understanding that reflects a number of key changes that serve to further ensure that the interests of the citizens of Los Angeles are well protected and well served.

Among other things, not only do the proposed terms contained within the MOU provide for full repayment of the City bonds by new revenue sources, they expressly contemplate that the majority of new tax revenues generated by Farmers Field will accrue to the general fund, providing a much needed source of new revenue for our City in the coming years.

We extend our gratitude to all of the participants in this process on the City side, including representatives from the offices of the Chief Legislative Analyst, the Chief Administrative Officer, the Convention Center and the City Attorney, all of whom exhibited the utmost professionalism and diligence throughout the negotiations and demonstrated themselves to be excellent stewards of the City’s interests. Assisted by a team of experienced outside advisors, the City’s negotiating team not only pushed hard to address important issues to their satisfaction, but they worked tirelessly and cooperatively to identify an optimal financing structure for the portion of this project that entails public involvement.

There remains much work to be done – including completion of a thorough and complex EIR, processing of project entitlements and negotiation of definitive agreements – but approval of this MOU will represent a critical milestone in our efforts to break ground on this project within the next year. We look forward to continuing to work with the City to take this project to the next step at the same time that we also increase our focus on other key objectives, including progressing design of the project and securing the commitments necessary to bring the NFL back to Los Angeles.

Follow the links below to download the Memorandum of Understanding:

Part A
Part B
Part C
Part D