Pledge to Make Earth Day, Every Day with Energy Star - EPA Launches New Campaign in Fight Against Climate Change

Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is launching a national campaign to help Americans join in the fight against climate change. The campaign, “Change the World, Start with Energy Star” helps people make important energy-efficient changes at home and at work that can add up to significant reductions in emissions of greenhouse gases.

“Environmental responsibility is everyone’s responsibility and this Earth Day, we are encouraging people to take common sense steps to reduce their climate footprints,” said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson. “Through our new ‘Change the World: Start with Energy Star’ campaign, we are helping people save green by going green.”

The campaign builds on the success of the Energy Star Change a Light campaign by providing a set of steps people can take to save money and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In addition to replacing at least one light in the home with an Energy Star one, the new Energy Star pledge encourages consumers to:

* Make home heating and cooling systems work more efficiently
* Make sure homes are well sealed and insulated
* Enable the power management features on home computers and monitors
* Choose an Energy Star qualified refrigerator, dishwasher and/or clothes washer when replacing or purchasing new appliances


Taking energy efficient steps at home and at work can make an important difference in addressing climate change. Buildings contribute about 40 percent of the nation’s emissions of carbon dioxide, the primary greenhouse gas, as most of the energy used in buildings comes from the burning of fossil fuels. These emissions can be reduced substantially through energy efficiency and the steps of the Energy Star pledge. If every American household took part in this new Energy Star pledge, we would save more than $18 billion in annual energy costs, and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of more than 18 million cars.

Individuals can take the pledge at: http://www.energystar.gov/changetheworld

More than 1,200 local and national organizations have already encouraged their communities to take the Energy Star Change a Light pledge nationwide. These include top pledge drivers like Pacific Gas & Electric, Georgia Power, Southern California Edison, Salt River Project and the Commonwealth of Virginia. They will now join these additional organizations to promote the expanded Energy Star pledge encouraging Americans to go beyond changing a light: Amazon.com, Best Buy, Hewlett-Packard, Lowe’s, Menards, Sears and Subway. Organizations interested in participating in the campaign should go to: http://www.energystar.gov/changetheworld and click to “Learn More” under “For Participating Organizations.”