Greenversations

By Brittney Gordon

On behalf of EPA’s ENERGY STAR program, I’d like to extend a big thank you to all of you who participated in our Be an ENERGY STAR Video Challenge! It was inspiring to see the response to our basic challenge—in April we asked everyday Americans to send in videos documenting the energy saving actions they are taking in their home, school, workplace, or community. We received more than 60 submissions and they all provided helpful tips to help us all save energy and protect the environment.

After months of collecting videos and allowing the public to vote on their favorites we now have our top picks.

Drum roll please…

The top videos of the Be an ENERGY STAR Video Challenge are:

Journey of Energy, produced by the Free Union Homeschoolers, Great Meadows, N.J.
Wasting Electricity and You, Gaithersburg, MD
Kentucky Green & Healthy Schools are Energy Stars, Frankfort, Ky.
Energy Zappers, produced by the Benton County Boys and Girls Club of America, Bentonville, Ark.
Twig and Eco ENERGY STAR PSA, produced by La Quinta Boys and Girls Club Torch Club, La Quinta, Calif.

The public voted for their favorites on ENERGY STAR’s Facebook page and they picked some awesome videos. The top videos feature people of all ages and backgrounds working to save energy in their homes and communities. EPA produced a culmination video to highlight all of the top picks. You can check it out

From celebs to everyday people, we collected over 60 videos of people working to protect the environment and save energy. Want to check out the rest of the videos? Just go to the video challenge tab on ENERGY STAR’s Facebook page.

About the author: Brittney Gordon is a member of the communication’s team for EPA’s ENERGY STAR program.

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.

By Brittney Gordon

For many, Halloween is one of the best holidays of the year. From the endless bags of candy to the costumes, it is the one night where adults and kids alike can pretend to be anyone they want to be, and have a lot of fun doing it. For weeks friends have asked me what I am going to dress up as, but to tell you the truth I haven’t the foggiest idea. I am kind of last minute when it comes to this holiday (okay, all holidays) and I will probably run to the costume store just in time to get the scraps leftover by the more time serious Halloween shoppers.

While I may be slow when it comes to picking out a costume, I am focused on being right on time when it comes to the energy efficient things I can do in my home this Halloween. Below is a simple list of things we can all do to save energy and protect the environment before and after we go trick-or-treating.

Trick for heat: When is the last time you checked your heating system’s air filter? You should do it every month and change it every three months. While you are at it, this is a great time to have a qualified professional tune up your system with a pre-season maintenance checkup. If it’s time to replace your system, look for the ENERGY STAR.

Protect Yourself from Vampires: No, I am not talking about the latest “Twilight” movie. Instead I am referring to “vampire power” or standby power. It is the electric power consumed by electronics and appliances while they are switched off or in a standby mode. ENERGY STAR qualified models use a lot less energy in standby mode. Looking for an easy way to remember to turn everything off? Plug all of your electronics into a power strip. Flipping the switch turns everything off at once.

Don’t Waste Your Heat on Ghosts: By properly using a programmable thermostat, you can ensure that you are not unnecessarily heating the home when you are away or sleep. Programming a lower temperature for when you go to work and go to sleep can save you up to $180 a year in energy costs—a pretty sweet treat!

Check for more energy-saving tips.

About the author: Brittney Gordon is a communications team member for EPA’s ENERGY STAR program. She came to EPA in 2010 after a career in Broadcast Journalism.

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.

Each week we ask a question related to the environment. You can answer the poll or let us know your thoughts as comments. Feel free to respond to earlier comments or post new ideas. Previous questions.

It’s time to go back to school, so many Americans are replacing their computers. You can look for the Energy Star label to find one that uses less electricity. When you get your computer home, you can choose energy-saving settings like when to turn off the monitor.

When it comes to computers, do you minimize energy use?
(leave a comment | en español)

Do you know how to adjust your computer's energy saver settings? Yes (64%, 172 Votes) No (36%, 96 Votes) Total Voters: 268  Loading ...

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En español: Cada semana hacemos una pregunta relacionada al medio ambiente. Por favor comparta con nosotros sus pensamientos y comentarios. Siéntase en libertad de responder a comentarios anteriores o plantear nuevas ideas. Preguntas previas.

Ha llegado el regreso al colegio y muchos estadounidenses están reemplazando sus computadoras. Busque la etiqueta Energy Star para encontrar una que use menos electricidad. En casa, puede seleccionar opciones para ahorrar energía como apagar el monitor.

¿Cuando se trata de computadoras, cómo minimiza el uso de energía?