Join the more than one billion people around the globe participating in Earth Day 2012 and help Mobilize the Earth™. From its inception 42 years ago, Earth Day (April 22) has expanded from the mantra “Reduce, Reuse and Recycle” into an active political and social movement to preserve Mother Earth. Locally, many municipalities are encouraging and enforcing recycling, as well as providing venues for the proper disposal of compact fluorescent bulbs and batteries. At the government level, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) continue to develop and enhance the standards of its joint program – ENERGY STAR – as a method to identify and promote energy-efficient products for consumers.
Earth Day is the perfect opportunity for lighting retailers to launch their own energy-awareness campaign in their communities. Consider promoting ENERGY STAR-labeled products, or hosting educational seminars that deal with such topics as installing dimmers, occupancy sensors, and energy-saving light bulbs. Hold a ceiling fan sale in the name of saving energy in the upcoming summer months. (Fanimation dealers can take advantage of a special discount to consumers on the factory’s fans from April 21 – May 21.) Draw attention to energy-saving light bulbs by placing additional savings on LED bulbs and CFLs for the rest of April. Starting with Earth Day, Philips Lighting is offering its award winning LED bulb for the first time. This bulb, winner of the DOE Bright Tomorrow Lighting Prize (L Prize), reportedly provides the lighting equivalent of a 60-watt incandescent while consuming only 10 watts. If you are a Varaluz dealer, let your customers know that the company is donating 1% of its retail sales during the month of April to American Forests, the oldest national nonprofit conservation organization in the country.
