Monroe County is asking residents and employees to “change the world” and “drive smarter” as part of the National Association of Counties (NACo) national competitions Change the World, Start With Energy Star Campaign and the Drive $marter Challenge. Monroe County Mayor Mario Di Gennaro proclaimed the county’s participation at the July 16 BOCC meeting. The contest is to educate county employees and residents in ways to save energy at home and on the highway. County Representatives are Priscilla London, Senior Safety
Administrator, and Alicia Betancourt, Community Development Agent for Monroe County Extension Services.
The Change the World campaign (www.greencounties.org/changetheworld) is an energy efficiency campaign in which counties collect pledges from county employees and residents to not only change a light in their home to an energy efficient one, but to also take other actions to save energy. Energy-saving actions could include power managing computers, choosing Energy Star appliances, or properly programming their home thermostats.
The Drive $marter Challenge (http://www.drivesmarterchallenge.org) is a fuel-efficiency campaign launched by The Wal-Mart Foundation, NACo and 16 additional diverse public and private-sector partners to help U.S. consumers lower their gasoline costs by using less. The campaign offers effective money- and gas-saving tips in English and Spanish and extensive additional resources – all aimed at keeping more money in drivers’ pockets and
reducing the number of costly trips to the pump.
Monroe County, as a member of NACO, has accepted both of NACo’s challenges. Pledge collections for both competitions will be taken through November 30.
Three winning counties (one each from a small, medium and large county) from this year’s Change the World competition will receive 1,000 free compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) from Office Depot. In addition, Office Depot will offer each individual who takes the pledge a 10% discount on its new Office Depot Green Brand CFLs, beginning Aug. 1.
Three winning counties from this year’s Drive $marter Challenge will receive 1,000 bottles of fuel additive/cleaner products from AutoZone to help vehicles become more fuel-efficient. In addition, each participant in the Drive $marter Challenge will receive valuable coupons from Exxon Mobil and AutoZone.
Monroe County is proud to do its part in this nationwide effort to promote energy and fuel efficiency practices that help consumers lower their energy and gasoline costs. Energy savings and fuel efficiency is important to the county because it saves consumers and taxpayer’s money, and helps protect the environment since it lessens greenhouse gas emissions and reduces air pollution. Monroe County is committed to helping residents and employees combat rising energy and fuel costs by reducing electrical and gasoline use.
So log on to the Web sites listed above and start pledging!
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