EnviroNews
For Immediate Release:
Monday, April 21, 2008
Media Contact:
Kelli Johnson, 512 476 4368 ext. 310
kjohnson@enviromedia.com
Watch Out for Vampires in Austin this Earth Day
EnviroMedia staff calling attention to tech gadgets that suck electricity, create pollution
WHAT: Local environmental firm EnviroMedia Social Marketing will focus its attention this Earth Day on “vampire energy,” when everyday appliances that are plugged in — whether they’re in use or not — sap energy.
Common items that can waste electricity nonstop include cell phone chargers, portable tool chargers, VCRs/DVD players with digital displays, and coffeemakers with digital clocks.
PHOTO OPPS: Approximately 30 EnviroMedia employees will don vampire costumes and hand out information to passersby about vampire energy, with tips to help them save electricity. Dracula will lead the group and will be accompanied by a mummy wrapped with electrical cords and wires. Mother Earth will round out the characters.
WHEN: Earth Day. Tuesday, April 22, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
WHERE: 2nd Street District in Austin, starting at Austin Java near City Hall. The route will pass Jo’s Coffee, located at 242 West 2nd Street, and will turn on Colorado Street, heading toward 4th and 5th Streets.
WHY: According to the International Energy Agency, “vampire energy” sucks up about 5 percent of the electricity in the average American home. With an average of 40 “vampire electronics” in every U.S. home, the wasted energy adds up. The IEA estimates that vampire energy is responsible for 1 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions. Globally, vampire energy consumes 200 to 400 terawatt hours per year; compare that to the entire country of Italy, which consumes 300 terawatt hours per year.
EnviroMedia employees, who regularly participate in environmental and public health initiatives, are passionate about the cause, especially on Earth Day. The key is to educate consumers that even electronics in standby mode can waste electricity and can lead to climate change. Employees want others to feel empowered to make simple changes that make an actual difference.
ABOUT: Tuerff-Davis EnviroMedia Inc. is a Texas-based company formed in 1997. Its subsidiary, EnviroMedia Social Marketing, is the nation’s only communications firm that works solely on environmental and public health campaigns. Tuerff-Davis EnviroMedia Inc. recently launched Green Canary Sustainability Consulting, a new subsidiary company to help corporations craft practical strategies that ensure they remain credible and ethical, while reaching goals in the booming green-marketing world. For more information, visit enviromedia.com and greencanary.net.