EnviroNews

For Immediate Release: Sunday, April 22 , 2007

Contact:
Kelli Johnson, EnviroMedia Social Marketing, 512-784-8507
Ted Burton, EnviroMedia Social Marketing, 512-797-8200

EnviroMedia, Texas Interfaith Power & Light To Give Away 1,000 CFL Bulbs on Earth Day

"Gift of Light" donations to help low-income households save money, reduce global climate change

(AUSTIN, Texas)—On Earth Day this Sunday, Pastor San Williams will be encouraging his congregation at Austin’s University Presbyterian Church to make care for God’s creation a bigger part of their mission and ministry.

As parishioners leave worship, they’ll be able to put their minister’s words into action.

They'll receive energy-saving compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) and a simple message as part of EnviroMedia's "Gift of Light" partnership with Texas Interfaith Power and Light: install a CFL and help reduce global warming. The bulk of the CFLs will be turned over to the Micah Six food pantry, which also provides utility bill assistance to low-income families.

“Changing a light bulb is one of the easiest things we can do to conserve energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Kevin Tuerff, principal of EnviroMedia Social Marketing, who volunteered to help pass out free bulbs Sunday.  “Coal currently supplies most electricity in the U.S., so if we begin phasing in the far more energy-efficient CFLs at home, we’re ultimately helping to reduce pollution. That’s a great place to start because we generate twice as many greenhouse emissions with our homes than with our cars.”

While most University Presbyterian parishioners can afford to purchase their own CFLs, the target of the “Gift of Light” Earth Day outreach effort is low-income families who rely on Micah 6 of Austin’s food pantry. Micah 6 is a coalition of 12 churches primarily located in the neighborhood around the University of Texas. The core service offered by Micah 6 is a food pantry, operated near an alley just behind University Baptist Church off 22nd Street west of Guadalupe. The pantry serves more than 200 families each week. It is open on Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings. Families facing unexpected household emergencies can also receive assistance paying rent and utility bills through some of the Micah 6 churches.

“Micah 6 helps congregations leverage their resources to better serve the growing needs of our community,” said Micah 6 President Beth Kelley. “We’re thrilled to be part of ‘The Gift of Light’ this Earth Day. Many of the recipients are focused on urgent daily needs like finding housing and food. They probably haven’t considered how a CFL bulb will help them save money on their utility bills. This is a great way to educate them about how to save energy and how to care for the environment.”

Micah 6 recipients will receive packages of eight CFL bulbs when they visit the food pantry. It’s estimated a person will save $30 or more in energy costs over one bulbs’ life, so a package of eight could save a family $240.

“Too often the environmental ministry is only available to those who can afford it,” said Bee Moorhead, executive director of Texas Interfaith Power & Light. “Providing CFLs to families who need assistance gives them dignity. It empowers them to help care for God’s creation and be part of the environmental discussion. And it’s a sustainable gift that will help them save money on their utility bills.”

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, if every American home replaced just one light bulb with an energy efficient CFL, it would save enough energy to light more than 2.5 million homes for a year and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of 800,000 cars.

Five Reasons to Install an Energy Star ® CFL This Earth Day

  1. You’ll save $30 or more in energy costs over the bulb’s lifetime.
  2. They last 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs.
  3. We generate twice as many greenhouse gas emissions with our homes than with our cars.
  4. If every American home replaced just one light bulb with a CFL, we would save enough energy to light 2.5 million homes for a year and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of 800,000 cars.
  5. You can save even more money and prevent more greenhouse gases by phasing more CFLs into your home.

For Earth Day, everyone can make a difference by pledging to replace at least one incandescent light bulb with an Energy Star ® CFL. Click on the link below to access the “Change a Light, Change the World” Web page.

http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=cal.showPledge

EnviroMedia Social Marketing (www.enviromedia.com) is the nation’s leading environmental and public health PR and advertising agency creating campaigns that incorporate the vision of healthier communities into everyday business.

Texas Interfaith Power & Light (txipl.org) is a nonprofit religious education organization that helps congregations of all faiths in Texas take action to reduce global warming and air pollution through energy conservation and renewable energy strategies.

Micah 6 of Austin (www.micah6austin.org) is a coalition of faith communities near the University of Texas campus that helps the homeless and impoverished. Micah 6 operates a food pantry, and some of its member churches offer emergency assistance for housing, rent and utility bills.

Micah 6 Members
All Saints Episcopal Church, Central Christian Church, Congregational Church of Austin, First English Lutheran Church, Hyde Park Presbyterian, Southwest Family Fellowship, St. Austin’s Catholic Church, University Avenue Church of Christ, University Baptist Church, University Christian Church, University Presbyterian Church and University United Methodist Church

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