It will use 400 gallons of fuel, create three tons of carbon dioxide, and probably will burn enough lead in the air to make people run for the hills. But instead, ABC is trying to get people to run to their TV sets to take a look at what might just be a miniseries event.

Yeah, we're talking about "V."

The network is taking to the skies above 15 cities to paint a big red "V" in the sky using planes and smoke. But Washington Post columnist Lisa de Moraes wants to know: Is all this worth the pollution?

"While this may not hit the 'ecological miscarriage' threshold," de Moraes wrote, "it's maybe not the best marketing scheme for a network whose parent company only seven months earlier announced ... that it would cut carbon emissions from fuels by half by 2012 as part of its goal to achieve net zero direct greenhouse emissions at its office and retail complexes, theme parks and cruise lines, because, the company's senior vice president of environmental affairs explained, 'We thought it was important ... to communicate a sense of commitment.'"

To help demonstrate what it would be like to have motherships hanging over major cities, a la "District 9," or "Independence Day," or hell, the original "V," ABC decided to choose some landmarks across the country ahead of "V's" premiere Nov. 3 in cities such as New York, Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles and even Orlando (where ABC's parent The Walt Disney Co. has a little carnival-like place) to have red V's put in the sky. However, none will be found in Washington, D.C., because of the airspace restrictions that have continued to exist since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

"Marketing departments want to make a big splash, and inevitably when you make a big splash, you are doing something to the environment," said former CNN reporter and aviation expert Miles O'Brien. "This is not the end of the world and they are not going to melt the glaciers tomorrow, but I think [networks] should be more circumspect in pitching the carbon neutrality of all their efforts in toto."

"V" has experienced a number of missteps since it was announced earlier this year by ABC. The biggest was a failed attempt by Warner Bros. Television, which produces the show, to try and remove Kenneth Johnson's creator credit from the show, claiming the new show was completely different from his 1980s project.

Then ABC said it would air "V" in blocks, starting in November, and keeping it out of harm's way from programming events such as the Winter Olympics on NBC and "American Idol" on Fox. That has led many to believe ABC does not have the confidence in the series as it once claimed it had.