Montgomery County: County encourages residents to fight global warming
Issue date: 7/6/08 Section: Neighborhood
Montgomery County has joined two National Association of Counties (NACo) competitions to reduce energy and gasoline consumption.
Counties throughout the country will compete to collect the most pledges from employees and residents who join the "Drive $marter Challenge," to reduce individual vehicle miles traveled, and/or the "2008 Change the World, Start with ENERGY STAR Campaign," to encourage everyone to make energy saving changes at home, such as switching to energy-efficient light or improving heating and cooling performance. The challenges conclude on November 30.
Individuals who take the Drive $marter Challenge can win coupons from Exxon Mobil and AutoZone. AutoZone will also be awarding each of the winning counties in three population size categories 1,000 bottles of Fuel Additive/ Cleaner, which help make vehicles more fuel-efficient. The Drive $marter web site at www.drivesmarterchallenge.org also features links to helpful resources with information on where to find the cheapest local gas, information on public transportation, biking, car sharing, and carpooling and other topics.
"As gas and energy prices have skyrocketed, more and more people are looking for creative ways to reduce the strain on their budgets by cutting fuel and energy consumption wherever possible," said Montgomery County Executive Isaiah Leggett.
For the Change the World challenge, every person who takes the ENERGY STAR pledge online at www.greencounties.org/changetheworld will receive a 10 percent discount from Office Depot on its new Office Depot Green Brand compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), starting August 1. The winning county in each size category will receive 1,000 CFLs from Office Depot.
"Considering the number of citizen groups we have focused on environmental protection and improvement, as well as our excellent green schools programs, I think Montgomery County residents already have heightened awareness of the importance and benefits of being green," said Bob Hoyt, director of the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). "If you are already taking energy-saving measures in the home and in transit, I encourage you to take either or both of the pledges and take credit for your efforts and lifestyle."
If every household in Montgomery County replaced one traditional incandescent light bulb with a CFL, it would save over two million dollars a year and reduce as much carbon dioxide as taking 1,800 cars off the road.
For more information about how Montgomery County is encouraging energy efficiency, call DEP at 240-777-7700 or go to www.montgomerycountymd.gov/dep and select "Energy-Wise Homes.' For information about NACo's role in either challenge, contact Kelly Zonderwyk at 202-942-4224 or visit www.greencounties. org/competitions.
Counties throughout the country will compete to collect the most pledges from employees and residents who join the "Drive $marter Challenge," to reduce individual vehicle miles traveled, and/or the "2008 Change the World, Start with ENERGY STAR Campaign," to encourage everyone to make energy saving changes at home, such as switching to energy-efficient light or improving heating and cooling performance. The challenges conclude on November 30.
Individuals who take the Drive $marter Challenge can win coupons from Exxon Mobil and AutoZone. AutoZone will also be awarding each of the winning counties in three population size categories 1,000 bottles of Fuel Additive/ Cleaner, which help make vehicles more fuel-efficient. The Drive $marter web site at www.drivesmarterchallenge.org also features links to helpful resources with information on where to find the cheapest local gas, information on public transportation, biking, car sharing, and carpooling and other topics.
"As gas and energy prices have skyrocketed, more and more people are looking for creative ways to reduce the strain on their budgets by cutting fuel and energy consumption wherever possible," said Montgomery County Executive Isaiah Leggett.
For the Change the World challenge, every person who takes the ENERGY STAR pledge online at www.greencounties.org/changetheworld will receive a 10 percent discount from Office Depot on its new Office Depot Green Brand compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), starting August 1. The winning county in each size category will receive 1,000 CFLs from Office Depot.
"Considering the number of citizen groups we have focused on environmental protection and improvement, as well as our excellent green schools programs, I think Montgomery County residents already have heightened awareness of the importance and benefits of being green," said Bob Hoyt, director of the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). "If you are already taking energy-saving measures in the home and in transit, I encourage you to take either or both of the pledges and take credit for your efforts and lifestyle."
If every household in Montgomery County replaced one traditional incandescent light bulb with a CFL, it would save over two million dollars a year and reduce as much carbon dioxide as taking 1,800 cars off the road.
For more information about how Montgomery County is encouraging energy efficiency, call DEP at 240-777-7700 or go to www.montgomerycountymd.gov/dep and select "Energy-Wise Homes.' For information about NACo's role in either challenge, contact Kelly Zonderwyk at 202-942-4224 or visit www.greencounties. org/competitions.
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