September 1, 2005

The Department of Environmental Quality is encouraging all of Michigan to participate in the ENERGY STAR Change a Light, Change the World Campaign on October 5, 2005. The Change a Light, Change a World Campaign is a national challenge to encourage every American to help change the world one light at a time by using more energy efficient lighting.

The ENERGY STAR Change a Light, Change the World Campaign begins with various promotions running locally and nationally from October 1 – November 30. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy, along with partners around the country, are encouraging Americans to take the ENERGY STAR Change a Light pledge to change five of their most frequently used light fixtures, or the bulbs in them, to ENERGY STAR qualified lighting. They have established a Web site at www.energystar.gov/changealight to help Americans identify ENERGY STAR lighting products.

If every American home took the "five light change" pledge, not only would each family save more than $60 every year in energy costs, but our nation would collectively keep more than one trillion pounds of greenhouse gases out of our air. Energy-efficient lighting products can also last up to ten times longer than traditional lighting, which can mean more than seven years between bulb changes.

For additional information on ways to become more energy efficient, please visit the DEQ Web site at http://www.michigan.gov/deq/0,1607,7-135-3585_30068_27504---,00.html.

Editor’s note: DEQ news releases are available on the department’s Internet home page at www.michigan.gov/deq.

“Protecting Michigan’s Environment, Ensuring Michigan’s Future”

Revised September 1, 2005 by Pat Watson