Aug 22, 2013

EPIC Team ENERGY STAR Drive

climate, climate change, energy, environment, homes, kids, students, team energy star, youth 0 Comments

By: Brittney Gordon-Williams

Summer is winding down and for kids across the country, school is just around the corner (if it hasn’t started already). But as you run around buying new book bags and other school supplies, you may be pining for just one more fun activity for the whole family to enjoy. Well look no further because Team ENERGY STAR is the perfect way to end the summer!

EPA knows that young people are great influencers when it comes to spreading the word about protecting our environment. That’s why ENERGY STAR teamed up with PTO Today, LG Electronics USA and the Boys and Girls Clubs of America (with support from Samsung Electronics) to teach the next generation how they can take action against climate change. With the help of the characters from the movie EPIC, Team ENERGY STAR teaches young people about saving energy in order to better protect the planet. You can join the team on ENERGY STAR’s website and get immediate access to fun and educational resources that teach the whole family about saving energy. Your child can take the EPIC Pledge and get the chance to bring home the newly available DVD of the hit movie EPIC! Teaching your kids about protecting the environment through Team ENERGY STAR will also make you eligible for rewards from LG Electronics.

It may sound like a cliché, but today’s kids are truly our future. Engaging young people in making a difference today will make a big difference in securing a cleaner, more sustainable future. For the past two years Team ENERGY STAR has shown thousands of kids how they can help their family save energy and protect our environment. Sign your family up by September 30th, and end the summer with a great lesson that will stick with your kids for years to come.

Brittney Gordon-Williams is a member of the communications team for the ENERGY STAR Labeling Branch. She does not have any kids, but plans on signing up her Goddaughter Victoria for Team ENERGY STAR.

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Oct 19, 2012

Team ENERGY STAR!

climate, climate change, Education, energy, environment, kids, team energy star, youth 2 Comments

By: Brittney Gordon-Williams

Every time I brush my teeth, I still remember the first environmental lesson that I learned at school. I don’t remember who said it or when I heard it, but “don’t leave the water running while brushing your teeth,” is etched in my memory. Because of that lesson, wasting water has always been a no-no during my morning routine. Memories like this one make it easy for me to understand the power of educating young people about protecting the world we live in. Needless to say, I was incredibly excited to work on the launch of EPA’s Team ENERGY STAR this year.

Team ENERGY STAR is a new component of the Change the World, Start with ENERGY STAR campaign, focused on teaching young people about protecting our climate by saving energy. EPA launched the Team ENERGY STAR section on our website this summer, allowing families to join the team and download educational (and fun) tools to help their kids learn about energy efficiency. We asked young people to come back to the website after they started helping their families save energy to share their story. The best stories were showcased on the ENERGY STAR Facebook page, with our social media audience picking the top story as the “People’s Choice.” Families could even go one step further and also join the DoSomething.org and LG Electronics Team ENERGY STAR Challenge.

Team ENERGY STAR was a great success with thousands of families joining the team and learning more about saving energy in their homes. Hundreds of Boys and Girls Clubs (with the support of ENERGY STAR partner Samsung) across the country joined in by spreading the word about energy efficiency in their communities. It was inspiring to see so many young people making climate protection an important part of their everyday lives.

Check out the Team ENERGY STAR photo album on ENERGY STAR’s Facebook page to see all of the top stories. Congrats to the “People’s Choice” top vote getter, Alexandra S.! Alexandra was also one of five top picks in the DoSomething.org and LG Electronics challenge, along with Bryce P., Caleigh G., Imelia G. and Renee L!

Reading the energy-saving success stories from these kids showed me once again that young people can truly change the world. Are you interested in hearing more stories of young people making a difference? Check out our first-ever live Facebook broadcast on Tuesday, October 23, at 1:15pm CDT where we will have young people and adults from across the country sharing their stories live! Hope to see you there!

Brittney Gordon-Williams works on the communications team for EPA’s ENERGY STAR program.

Mar 6, 2012

Energy Efficiency Goes Hollywood

energy, EPA Energy Star Program, greenhouse gas emissions, team energy star 2 Comments

By Jill Vohr

Who knew? Red carpet events in Hollywood don’t always use red carpets. On February 19th, the world-wide premiere of Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax involved all the fabulous movie stars you would expect to see—but on an ORANGE carpet. The same color as the Lorax.

I was lucky enough to be there to support EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson as she kicked off an exciting educational partnership between Universal Studios and EPA’s ENERGY STAR program.

Working closely with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, the Lorax and EPA are helping kids make the connection between energy use and trees and our planet. We’re encouraging them and their families to think about the environmental implications of the purchases they make and the products they use. For example, if every American home replaced just one bulb with one that has earned the ENERGY STAR, we would prevent 9 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions per year – the equivalent of planting more than 850,000 acres of trees. Now that’s a whole lot of Truffulas!

Through the chaos of people waiting for the stars and shouts from kids jumping around a maze of Truffula Trees and devouring Lorax-themed confections, I couldn’t help but think about what it was really all about . Endearing, feisty characters like the Lorax are great because they help kids understand the power they have to make a difference. “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”

If you have a child who wants to learn how easy and fun it can be to save energy, sign them up for EPA’s Team ENERGY STAR. Become part of our team and help change the world!

About the author: Jill Vohr is the Director of Marketing for EPA’s ENERGY STAR labeling branch. In her free time she is an artist and a happy mom to her 5-year-old daughter.

Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed in Greenversations are those of the author. They do not reflect EPA policy, endorsement, or action, and EPA does not verify the accuracy or science of the contents of the blog.