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Item B6BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY Meeting Date: Wed. July 16, 2008 Bulk Item: Yes No XX Division: BOCC Department: Mayor Di Gennaro, District 4 Staff Contact Person: Tamara Lundstrom (305 289-6000) AGENDA ITEM WORDING: Proclamation of July 16, 2008 as official launch of County participation in NACo "Change the World, Start with Energy Star Campaign, and Drive $marter Challenge. ITEM BACKGROUND: MONROE COUNTY is challenging its 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 Wlith E.N.ERGY STAR Campaign and the Drive $marter Challenge. PREVIOUS RELEVANT BOCC ACTION: CONTRACT/AGREEMENT CHANGES: STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS: TOTAL COST: COST TO COUNTY: BUDGETED: Yes No SOURCE OF FUNDS: REVENUE PRODUCING: Yes _ No _ AMOUNT PER MONTH Year APPROVED BY: County Atty _ OMB/Purchasing Risk Management DOCUMENTATION: Included XX Not Required DISPOSITION: AGENDA ITEM # Revised 2/05 Change the World, Start with ENERGY STAR Campaign And the Drive $marter Challenge WHEREAS, energy savings and fuel efficiency is important to MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA, because it saves consumers and taxpayers money, and helps protect the environment because it lessens greenhouse gas emissions and reduces air pollution; and WHEREAS, MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA is committed to helping residents and employees combat rising energy and fuel costs by reducing electrical and gasoline use; and WHEREAS, by taking the Change the World, Start With ENERGY STAR Campaign and the Drive $marter Challenge citizens and employees of MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA can learn how many hundreds of dollars they can save on energy in ten easy steps and on gasoline with their specific vehicle by taking six easy driving and maintenance actions; and WHEREAS, according to the Change the World, Start with ENERGY STAR Campaign _If all the households in Florida took the ENERGY STAR Pledge and changed 'use t one incandescent light bulb to an ENERGY STAR qualified bulb, the combined individual efforts would have the following impacts: Florida could save up to 351 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year. This is enough energy to light all the households in Monroe County, Florida, for nearly 1,040 days (2.8 years)! Based on the average electrical rate in Florida, the amount of energy saved would reduce household electrical bills by a combined total of $37.8 million a year. Florida would prevent nearly more than 540 million pounds of greenhouse gas emissions each year! This is equivalent to removing the annual emissions of over 47 thousand cars from Florida's roadways! WHEREAS, according to the Alliance to Save Energy (ASE), the average U.S. household is projected to spend approximately $4,000 this year to fuel its vehicles. Accordingly, if every driving citizen in the United States followed the six tips recommended through the Drive $marter Challenge, each person could save over $700 per year or almost 190 gallons of gas at $3.781gallon with an aggregate annual U.S. savings of close to $150 billion and 40 billion gallons of gas'. WHEREAS, MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA is proud to do our part in this nationwide effort to promote energy and fuel efficiency practices and help consumers lower their energy and gasoline costs; NOW THEREFORE, I, Mario Di Gennaro, Mayor of the MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA Board of Commissioners accept these Challenge's and encourage our citizens to change the world and drive smarter, and hereby proclaim July 16, 2008 as the official launch of the MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA Change the World, Start With ENERGY STAR Campaign, Drive $marter Challenge Given under my hand and the Great Seal of MONROE COUNTY, FLORIDA this 16th day of July, A.D. 2008. Mario Di Gennaro, Mayor 1 Figures based on 209 million licensed drivers in the United States driving an average of 12,500 miles per year in a vehicle with a fuel economy of 20.1 mpg and assumes that al I drivers were not already implementing these driving and maintenance tips. t� sad" I�@p� �. ,. .i�nEe`, Gl..:.. ax�a °r', iz�t,�.Fi ,�a�3 _ , i �•. ..` .. J,' a�. ,�k' l' � � � � I Y 25 Massachusetts Avenue, NW 1 Washington, DC 20001 1 202.393.6226 1 fax 202.393.2630 1 www.naco.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Jim Philipps July 09, 2008 202-942-4220, jphilippsLdnaco.org County Representatives: Senior Safety Representative, London-Priscilla@monroecounty-fl.gov Extension Service, Community Development & FCS agent, Betancourt-Alicia@monroecounty- fl.gov MONROE COUNTY challenges residents, employees to "change the world" and drive smarter Monroe County, Florida — MONROE COUNTY is challenging its residents and employees to "change the world" and "drive smarter" as part of the National Association of Counties (NACo) national competitions Change the Tlorld, Start WWI) FINE RGY STAR Campaign and the Drive ,smarter Challenge. The Change the%�rld campaign, formerly the Change a Light campaign, 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 marler Challenge is a fuel -efficiency campaign launched May 20 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 has accepted both of NACo's challenges. Three winning counties (one each from a small, medium and large county) from this year's Change the Tlorld 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 percent discount on its new Office Depot Green Brand compact fluorescent light bulbs, valid beginning Aug. 1. Three winning counties (again, one each from a small, medium and large county) 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 un the Dn) e ,smarter Challenge will receive valuable coupons from Exxon Mobil and AutoZone. Pledge collections for both competitions will be taken through Nov. 30. MONROE COUNTY is proud to do our 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 MONROE COUNTY because it saves consumers and taxpayer's money, and helps protect the environment because 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. The Drire Smarter Challenge campaign partners are the Alliance to Save Energy, alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, American Driver and Traffic Safety Education Association, American Petroleum Institute, AutoZone, Inc., Car Care Council, ExxonMobil, League of American Bicyclists, NACo, National Association of State Energy Officials, National Independent Auto Dealers Association, National Low Income Energy Consortium, Natural Resources Defense Council, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Safety- hleen, U.S. EPA's SmartWavO, and The Wal-Mart Foundation. For more information about the NACo's role in the Churrge the World, Start It"iih ENERG)' STAR Campaign and the Driie Smarter Challenge, contact Melly 7onderwyk at 202-942-4224 or visit w«« .reencounties.orb;/competitions. Monroe County as a member of NACO is participating. The National- uorration of Counties (i \TACo) is the one+ national orgaaiwation that represents cornr>y goverrrrnenis iu the united Stater. Founded in 1935, ATACo provides essential services to the nation's 3,066 counties. NACo advances issues with a unified voice before the federalganenrmenl, improves the public's nnderstarz+lirrg of conntygovernanent, assists counties in finding and sharing imnoratire sobrtious tlrroat,h education and research, an d pro+ides value-added services to sane ronuties and iarxpayers money. For more information aboto NACo, visit www. naro. oop. Page 1 of 2 Lundstrom-Tamara From: NACo [naco@naco.org] Sent: Wednesday, June 25, 2008 6:01 PM To: BOCCDIS4 Subject: NACo has launched two national green competitions for counties! NACo has launched two national green competitions for counties! Register your county government today to participate in either or both of the below competitions! Your county could win 1,000 compact fluorescent light bulbs or 1,000 bottles of fuel additive plus national recognition opportunities) Simply visit www.greencounties.org/competitions to register your county. Competition period is July 1 through November 30. Upon registering you will receive all pertinent information as well as outreach materials and resources! Change the World, Start With ENERGY STAR Campaign— counties will collect pledges from county employees and residents to not only change a light in their home to an energy -efficient one, but to also choose among other actions they can take to help save energy (such as power managing computers, choosing ENERGY STAR appliances, or properly programming their thermostats). Office Depot will offer each individual who takes the pledge a 10% discount on its new Office Depot Green Brand Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs. `.A Three winning counties of this year's competition will each receive 1,000 free compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) from Office Depot! Drive $marter Challenge -- counties motivate and empower county employees and residents to educate themselves on how to reduce gasoline use by keeping their cars in good working order, driving less, and driving more fuel efficiently. The Energy Information Administration estimates in 2008 that the average US household will spend about $3,400 on gasoline. Three winning counties will receive 1,000 bottles each of fuel additivelcleaners from AutoZone! Fuel additivelcleaners are products applied to the fuel system to help vehicles be more fuel -efficient. By participating in these competitions your county will be helping its residents save money and be more environmentally friendly at a time when the economy, rising fuel prices, and the environment are on everyone's minds. Visit www.greencounties.oralcompetitions today! Have you signed your county up for NACo's two national green competitions? Visit www.greencounties.org today! Kelly Zonderwyk Senior Associate, Community Services 7/9/2008