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Happy Earth Day!
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April 22, 2010, will be the 40th anniversary of both Earth Day and the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). We want to celebrate this special day by helping you make a difference for the environment while saving you money at the same time. Simply by being more energy efficient in your home, you can save energy, reduce household expenses in these tough economic times, AND help fight climate change. Here's how:
- Tips To Go Green and Save Green
- Earth Day Live with EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson
- Congratulations to Organizations Changing the World
- Join Us in Making a Difference
Tips To Go Green and Save Green
Lighten Up. Change out your home's five most frequently used light fixtures or bulbs in them to compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs that have earned the ENERGY STAR, and save $70 per year in energy costs. And, don't forget to turn off lights when you're not using them!
Entertain, for Less. Keeping ourselves entertained these days can use a lot of energy and cost more than you think. In fact, consumer electronic products, such as TVs, DVD players, and home audio equipment are responsible for approximately 15 percent of household electricity use, and this percentage is growing. Choose ENERGY STAR electronics for all your entertainment needs.
Get Unplugged. Remember to unplug electronics such as cell phones and mp3 players once they are charged. Don't leave the adapters plugged into outlets either. Those "vampires" are still sucking energy even when they are not charging anything. Also, whenever possible, use a power strip for your electronics as a central "turn-off" point to completely disconnect from the power source.
Sleep Is Good. Enable the power management settings on your computer and monitor so they go to sleep (switch to low power mode) when you are not working, and wake up with just a key stroke. Enabling a desktop computer and monitor's power management features can save up to $85 per year.
Cash in on Appliances. This year, appliances that earn the ENERGY STAR can save you up to $700 in energy costs over the lifetime of your refrigerator, dishwasher, clothes washer, and room air conditioner. Now with the added benefit of state rebates through the Cash for Appliances program, you can save even more. Visit www.energysavers.gov/rebates 
for rebates available in your area.
Out with the Old. Ditch the old fridge (or freezer) in your basement. These lurking energy hogs can cost you more than $100 a year. Talk to your local utility or retailer about how to recycle old electronics and appliances or visit www.energystar.gov/recycle for a recycling center near you.
Power Down While You Power Up. Power tools with battery chargers can now use less energy, too, so you can power down on big home projects. Just look for power tools with battery charging systems that have earned the ENERGY STAR, including well-known brands such as Black and Decker, DeWalt, Makita, and now Craftsman.
Get Programmed for Savings. A programmable thermostat, when used properly, can save up to $180 a year in energy costs. It's simple. You can save with a manual thermostat too, by adjusting the temperatures daily before leaving home and when going to bed at night.
Let It Flow. Keep air vents clear of furniture, paper, files, and other debris. It takes as much as 25 percent more energy to deliver air into the room if vents are blocked. It's the same for outside components. Leaves, dirt, and other debris are the number one cause of system failure. And, be sure to change your HVAC system's air filter at least once every three months to keep it running efficiently.
Don't Let the Air Out. Use caulk, spray foam, and weather stripping to seal cracks around windows, doors, pipes, electrical sockets, and other places where conditioned air can leak out. Proper levels of insulation, especially in your attic, can also improve energy efficiency and comfort. And, don't forget to check your duct system for leaks and disconnections. Learn more in ENERGY STAR's Do-it-Yourself Guide to Sealing and Insulating 
(2MB).
Bring Your Green to Work. Saving energy doesn't end at home. Replacing the light bulb in your desk lamp with an ENERGY STAR qualified CFL, enabling ENERGY STAR power management settings on your computer and monitor, and creating a green team with your co-workers are great ways to build support for energy efficiency in your workplace and reduce office waste. Visit Bring Your Green to Work page for more ways to bring your green to work.
Earth Day Live with EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson
In honor of Earth Day, EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson will host Earth Day Live with ENERGY STAR, a Webcast and town-hall style event for kids at Sarah Heinz House Boys & Girls Club in Pittsburgh, PA. The event will be broadcast live on www.epa.gov/live/ at 3:30 p.m. EDT Wednesday, April 21, 2010. Administrator Jackson will answer questions about the environment from a live audience of approximately 200 Boys & Girls Clubs of America members and video questions submitted by youth across the U.S.
If you didn't get to see the live broadcast, you can still view it anytime after April 24th.
Congratulations to Organizations Changing the World
EPA would like to thank all the pledge drivers who worked to make the 2009-2010 Change the World, Start with ENERGY STAR campaign a success. By encouraging people across the country to take the ENERGY STAR Pledge, these pledge drivers helped millions of Americans incorporate energy efficiency into their everyday routines. To date, more than 2.5 million people and thousands of organizations have joined the movement to fight climate change by taking the ENERGY STAR Pledge and the carbon savings associated with pledge-takers' collective commitments equal more than 7 billion pounds. Just as each pledge is an important step in the fight against climate change, so are the efforts of our campaign partners as they spread the word to their employees, customers, constituents, and communities nationwide.
In particular, EPA wants to recognize the organizations with the greatest achievements in raising awareness and driving action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Here are the top pledge drivers, overall and by sector, for 2009–2010.
Top Overall: Georgia Power Company, ComEd, Department of Defense, Jones Lang LaSalle, New Jersey's Clean Energy Program
Top Business: Jones Lang LaSalle, CB Richard Ellis, Best Buy, Nissan North America, Green Market Fundraising
Top Education: Kentucky National Energy Education Development (NEED) Project, St. Isidore NEED Group, Ft. Knox, Highlands High School, Lights for Learning Connecticut
Top Energy Efficiency Program: Georgia Power Company, ComEd, New Jersey's Clean Energy Program, Puget Sound Energy, Ameren Illinois Utilities
Top Government: Department of Defense, Picerne Military Housing Fort Bragg, AETC Lackland AFB, Picerne Military Housing Fort Polk, Sarasota County, FL
Top Non-Profit: One Change's Project Porchlight campaign, National Association of Counties (NACo), SoCal Pledge Partnership, National Energy Education Development Project (NEED), Climate Savers Computing Initiative
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