EARTH DAY IS HERE!
Texans Can Take Advantage of Promotions and Resources in Celebration of 40th Anniversary

Below are several Earth Day events and resources you can take advantage of today. While not all are related to energy efficiency, an overall change in behavior will ultimately impact energy consumption, so we are happy to promote increased environmental stewardship - in whatever form - on this important date.

Sears Celebrates Earth Day with 30% off All Energy Star Qualified Appliances! Even if you were not able to secure an appliance rebate coupon, you can still save significantly on energy efficient appliances that will help to reduce high energy bills, improve comfort and help to protect the environment. More.

HEB Giving Away 250,000 Reusable Shopping Bags, Four Hours ONLY: H-E-B is giving away 250,000 reusable shopping bags with plans to eliminate 1.5 million plastic bags from circulation. The program is taking place simultaneously at all H-E-B stores across Texas where the company will give away 250,000 reusable shopping bags statewide in a four-hour period - from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m only. More.

Austin Earth Day - "Give 5% back to Mother Nature": If you are in the Austin area, dozens of local businesses have vowed to give 5% (or more in some cases!) of their gross sales on Earth Day back to select regional non-profits who help our community and our environment. More.

"Billion Acts of Green" for the iPhone or Facebook: Make a pledge to improve the environment with Earth Day Network and Future Friendly's "Billion Acts of Green" global grassroots campaign, which enables consumers to make a pledge to improve their environmental impact and promote other environmentally-beneficial habits to friends and family via social media channels (we pledged to turn off our lights when we leave each day!) Their goal is to collect one billion pledges. More.

U.S. Chamber's BCLC is featuring 70 examples of business partners engaging in environmental stewardship, not just today, but every day: Learn about how companies from all industries - from Abbott, Allstate, and ARAMARK to Siemens, Shell, and Southwest - are minimizing their environmental footprint and advancing sustainability. More.

AARP "Five Minute Ways to Go Green" Online: Find topics like: donate your cell phone to a non-profit; reduce post-consumer carpets in landfills; set up a book exchange at work; tell a friend that is appliance shopping that they can research energy-efficient models here; and more. More.

Disney Store Earth Day Freebie: Disney Stores will give away free Friends for Change and OCEANS branded "eco-friendly hats" to guests who bring in six plastic bottles or aluminum cans today while supplies last. Made from six recycled plastic bottles, the hats are an example of how everyday materials can be reused for entirely different purposes. More.

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Some information taken from USA Today article.