Posts tagged: unplugged

unEARTHED. The Earthjustice Blog

unplugged


    SIGN-UP for our latest news and action alerts:
   Please leave this field empty

Facebook Fans

Featured Campaigns

Everyone has The Right To Breathe clean air. Watch a video featuring Earthjustice Attorney Jim Pew and two Pennsylvanians—Marti Blake and Martin Garrigan—who know firsthand what it means to live in the shadow of a coal plant's smokestack, breathing in daily lungfuls of toxic air for more than two decades.

Coal Ash Contaminates Our Lives. Coal ash is the hazardous waste that remains after coal is burned. Dumped into unlined ponds or mines, the toxins readily leach into drinking water supplies. Watch the video above and take action to support federally enforceable safeguards for coal ash disposal.

ABOUT EARTHJUSTICE'S BLOG

unEARTHED is a forum for the voices and stories of the people behind Earthjustice's work. The views and opinions expressed in this blog do not necessarily represent the opinion or position of Earthjustice or its board, clients, or funders.

Learn more about Earthjustice.

View Jonathan Wiener's blog posts
31 May 2011, 2:08 PM
Jonathan Wiener

Unplugged: Why Your TV And Smartphone Suck (Energy)

Some tips to improve their efficiency
(Photo credit: ALT1040 / Flickr.)

I was talking to a co-worker recently about how to improve the efficiency of her new TV. She doesn’t watch much—certainly not the five hours a day that new TVs average—so the obvious answer of “Turn it off” wouldn’t have helped much.

Instead, I sent her these helpful tips from the folks at CNET and our friends at NRDC, which basically amount to “at least turn it mostly off,” by turning down the brightness and disabling certain features that are constantly running in the background.

Read more >>
View Jonathan Wiener's blog posts
24 May 2011, 8:54 AM
Jonathan Wiener

Unplugged: Energy Guide vs. Energy Star

Distinguishing the two labeling schemes for new appliances

If you know the difference between the Energy Guide label and the Energy Star label, you are in better shape than many consumers, even many energy-conscious ones. (If you can explain why it makes sense to have three different federal agencies administer two separate labeling programs with names and purposes so similar that even retailers get them confused, you’re a genius.)

The Energy Guide label is a yellow-and-black sticker or hang tag that tells consumers the estimated annual energy use and operating costs of new household appliances.

Read more >>
View Jonathan Wiener's blog posts
17 May 2011, 10:42 AM
Jonathan Wiener

Unplugged: Reading the Fine Print on New TV labels

For real energy savings, turn off the tube

A law that took effect last week requires new televisions for sale in retail showrooms to carry yellow Energy Guide labels, allowing consumers to evaluate and compare how much energy different models use and how much they cost to operate each year. My colleague Liz Judge blogged about the impact of these labels previously.

The most eye-opening information those labels contain is in the fine print.

“Your energy cost depends on your utility rates and use. The estimated cost is based on 11 cents per kWh and 5 hours of use per day. For more information, visit http://www.ftc.gov/energy."

Try to wrap your head around that: According to our best estimates, new TVs are watched in one form or another for 5 hours each day. Consumers Union actually argued that 5 hours is an underestimate, and that manufacturers should estimate costs based on 8 hours of use.

2 Comments   /   Read more >>
View Jonathan Wiener's blog posts
09 May 2011, 11:19 AM
Jonathan Wiener

Unplugged: Energy Labels Underestimate Appliance Costs

Ranges, rates haven't been updated since 2007
Photo: Brandi Korte

Your new appliance is more expensive to operate than you think.

Since 2007, certain household appliances have carried revamped yellow Energy Guide labels that contain two key features. The first is the estimated annual costs of powering the appliance. The second is a linear scale that enables you to compare that figure with the costs of operating similar models. Both of these are useful, but neither provides up-to-date information.

1 Comment   /   Read more >>