Counties go for the ‘green’ in two competitions

by Kara Eusebio
NACO ENVIRONMENTAL INTERN

More than 65 counties from 27 states are participating in NACo’s green competitions. The Change the World, Start with ENERGY STAR Campaign and the Drive $marter Challenge are two ways for counties to go green, save taxpayer dollars, help the environment and promote energy independence. 

Change the World, Start with ENERGY STAR is an annual competition that challenges counties to educate their employees and residents on how to be more energy efficient in their homes.  Individuals taking the pledge may select from a variety of options such as changing a light in their home to a more energy-efficient one, ensuring their home is sealed and insulated, and choosing to purchase ENERGY STAR appliances and products.

The Drive $marter Challenge is sponsored by the Alliance to Save Energy and features an interactive Web site (www.drivesmarterchallenge.org) where users can enter the make, model, year, and number of cylinders for their vehicle and receive individualized tips to reduce their gasoline consumption and cost.

Each competition is divided into three population categories — small (under 50,000), medium (50,000 – 250,000) and large (over 250,000.)

The three county winners of the ENERGY STAR campaign will receive 1,000 free compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs from Office Depot to distribute in their communities.  Similarly, three county winners in the Drive $marter Challenge will receive 1,000 free bottles of fuel additive from AutoZone.

Riley County, Kan. is in its first year of participation in the Change the World, Start with ENERGY STAR Campaign. This summer, the county constructed a display describing the yearly cost benefits of using CFLs and presented the information at the county fair. Riley County is home to Kansas State University, which hosts a two-day pep rally for the first football game of the season. The county shared information at the rally, offering reusable shopping bags to everyone who took the ENERGY STAR campaign pledge.

The county also incorporated the campaign into its horticulture gardening night where the county raffled off CFLs for pledges signed. Riley County is currently in the lead for the medium-size county bracket for the ENERGY STAR campaign.

Broward County, Fla. has been promoting both competitions to great success. The county created a Web site specifically for the contests www.broward.org/gogreen and has 25 sign-up locations in school board offices, government buildings and libraries. These sign up locations are staffed once weekly by Broward County’s environmental protection division.

Broward County officials have been working interdepartmentally to advertise the campaigns, specifically with their Public Communications Office and NatureScape program, which promotes environmentally friendly landscaping.

The county has actively promoted the campaigns to its younger population by visiting schools, speaking to the Safe Kids program and including information about the campaigns in school science newsletters. At each outreach event, the county gives away reusable bags and fans made out of recycled materials, which include information about reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Broward County is currently in the lead among large counties in the ENERGY STAR campaign.

The competitions conclude Nov. 30, and counties may register at any time to participate.  Go to www.naco.org/greencounties and click on the “Green County Competitors” icon to sign up and to access a variety of free outreach materials including press release templates, promotional materials and event ideas.

(For more information, please contact Kara Eusebio at keusebio@naco.org or 202/942-4243 or Kelly Zonderwyk at kzonderwyk@naco.org.)