I previously wrote about positive impact from the US Government and I received indications that readers enjoyed this post, so, I decided to write another post about positive impact from the government.

In this post, I’m focused on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The Energy Star program is a joint program between the EPA and the DOE to promote energy efficient products and practices. You may have seen the Energy Star Label (pictured above) on various products if you are an American or Australian consumer.

The Energy Star program began in 1992 by the EPA to “identify and promote energy-efficient products to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.” Since then, the label was extended to heating and cooling equipment. And, in 1996, the DOE partnered with the EPA to extend the label to additional product categories. Today, the label even covers new homes and commerical/industrial buildings. The label has been adopted by Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and other countries.

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Although I’m not really a big proponent of the health benefits of deep fried potato chips, I think PepsiCo is taking a step in right direction in retrofitting their factories to use less energy. I would agree with anyone who argues that PepsiCo is only doing this to save themselves money in the long run, but I would counter by saying that what is good for the environment is also good for business. I’m curious to hear what other people think about large multinational companies who try to label their cost cutting as “eco-friendly”. Please share your thoughts in the comments area!

Lights out San Francisco was a tremendous success! You can view a few photos of San Francisco during the “lights out” event. Read the original post about this event.

If you missed the opportunity to turn off your lights on 10/20, you can join America in turning off their lights on March 29.

Disclosure: At the time of the writing of this post, I have no financial relationships with any of the organizations mentioned.
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About the Author

Jonathan Chang is interested in new technologies which help individuals and organizations make a positive impact on society and the environment. He is also a proponent of long term thinking, supports the creation of renewable resources, and is an ardent advocate of social entrepreneurship. He is involved with and a member of Net Impact and the Commonwealth Club. (Net Impact is an international nonprofit organization whose mission is to make a positive impact on society by growing and strengthening a community of new leaders who use business to improve the world. The Commonwealth Club is the nation’s oldest and largest public affairs forum which organizes events on topics ranging across politics, culture, society and the economy.) Jon received his MBA from Babson College and his BA from Columbia University.

This is a gentle reminder to turn your lights out tomorrow from 8-9 pm (PST). You can read the original post about this event.

Join the revolution, make a statement by turning off your lights, and let politicians know that energy conservation is important.

Disclosure: At the time of the writing of this post, I have no financial relationships with any of the organizations mentioned.
__________________________________
About the Author

Jonathan Chang is interested in new technologies which help individuals and organizations make a positive impact on society and the environment. He is also a proponent of long term thinking, supports the creation of renewable resources, and is an ardent advocate of social entrepreneurship. He is involved with and a member of Net Impact and the Commonwealth Club. (Net Impact is an international nonprofit organization whose mission is to make a positive impact on society by growing and strengthening a community of new leaders who use business to improve the world. The Commonwealth Club is the nation’s oldest and largest public affairs forum which organizes events on topics ranging across politics, culture, society and the economy.) Jon received his MBA from Babson College and his BA from Columbia University.

So, I was walking on the street in San Francisco today and I noticed a bunch of people handing out compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) and a brochure. Each person was wearing a t-shirt with the words “Turn off your lights on Saturday, October 20th.” I stopped to speak with them and it turns out that they are a non-profit called Lights Out SF whose mission is energy conservation in broad terms.

They want all of San Francisco to turn off their lights on October 20th from 8-9 pm. This event was inspired by “a similar event recently held in Sydney, Australia, called Earth Hour. In Sydney, 2.2 million people participated. Their one hour of lights out meant that 24.86 tons of carbon dioxide were not released into the air - the equivalent of taking 48,613 cars off the road for one hour.”

I commend everyone involved in this effort. If you want to participate, you can get involved too. You can also post one of their banners on your website.

I encourage everyone turn off their lights for one hour on October 20th even if you don’t live in San Francisco. If you miss the opportunity on October 20th, you can join the nation in turning off your lights for one hour for Lights Out America. As a side note, the San Francisco Bay Bridge will be dark during this time as well as other public utilities.

Join the revolution, make a statement by turning off your lights, and let politicians know that energy conservation is important.

Disclosure: At the time of the writing of this post, I have no financial relationships with any of the organizations mentioned.
__________________________________
About the Author

Jonathan Chang is interested in new technologies which help individuals and organizations make a positive impact on society and the environment. He is also a proponent of long term thinking, supports the creation of renewable resources, and is an ardent advocate of social entrepreneurship. He is involved with and a member of Net Impact and the Commonwealth Club. (Net Impact is an international nonprofit organization whose mission is to make a positive impact on society by growing and strengthening a community of new leaders who use business to improve the world. The Commonwealth Club is the nation’s oldest and largest public affairs forum which organizes events on topics ranging across politics, culture, society and the economy.) Jon received his MBA from Babson College and his BA from Columbia University.