Goverment Slacks Off On Managing Efficiency
October 19, 2009 - by Molly MannTucked within the pages of my New York Times this morning was a report by Matthew L. Wald on an internal audit by the Energy Department, which jointly manages the Energy Star program with the Environmental Protection Agency. Or, rather, is supposed to manage. In reality, the audit reveals, the government doesn't really do much at all where this program is concerned. Apparently, retailers are being allowed to slap the Energy Star sticker, which consumers use to navigate home products by efficiency and reduced environmental impact, on just about anything.
The U.S. Energy Star program began in 1992 to certify products like kitchen appliances, washers and dryers, computers, television sets, windows, doors, heaters, and lighting as energy efficient. In order to earn certification, these products had to prove a 20 to 30 percent average savings on electrical and heating costs. The idea was that consumers would opt for the more efficient products once it was easier to recognize them, and the demand would drive the market to produce more environmentally friendly goods. Since President Obama entered the White House, the program has had a rebirth under the federal stimulus bill, which allotted $300 million for consumer rebates on Energy Star products.
But if upwards of 90 percent of all products have gained Energy Star certification without earning it, how are we supposed to tell a truly efficient appliance from one that isn't? This revelation is yet another reminder not to fall prey to greenwashing, the meaningless labeling of ordinary products as environmentally friendly. Don't just take the retailers' word for it that what you're buying is sustainable; take some time to do a little research and find out for yourself. When it comes to your food, your clothing, and your home, you want to know.
Where to look? Consumer Reports is a good place to start. The publication was actually the first to break this story a year ago in October 2008 by performing its own tests on products and finding out that they did not live up to the Energy Star standards.
To give the government some credit, this was an internal audit and the Energy Department has pledged to remedy its shortfalls. I think we can reasonably assume that these oversights are left over from the previous administration and will change now that President Obama is in office. Regardless of who's in the White House, however, we must never stop asking questions. No sticker or label can tell us the whole truth about the goods we consume.
