\nthe Energy Star<\/a> stamp of approval to a
\nnumber of bogus appliances, including a gas-powered alarm clock and an electric
\nspace heater with a feather duster taped to it. The Government Accountability
\nOffice submitted the fake items in an audit to test the integrity of the well-known
\nefficiency program. The New York Times describes<\/a> how it worked:<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The fake companies submitted data indicating that the models consumed 20<\/p>\n
percent less energy than even the most efficient ones on the market. Yet those<\/p>\n
applications were mostly approved without a challenge or even questions, the<\/p>\n
report said. <\/p>\n
“Auditors<\/p>\n
concluded that the Energy Star program was highly vulnerable to fraud.”<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
As Kate Sheppard notes<\/a>, <\/p>\n Sheppard offers another bit of context:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Even<\/p>\n more worrying, the Energy Star program is also the inspiration<\/a> for the<\/p>\n Obama administration’s proposed $6 billion Home<\/p>\n Star<\/a> program, which will award ratings and incentives for more energy<\/p>\n efficient homes.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lane Burt, an NRDC building-energy specialist and <\/p>\n I think it is clear why the manufacturer self<\/p>\n certification system that Energy Star generally employs needs to be<\/p>\n revised. DOE and EPA have both acknowledged as much, as increased<\/p>\n verification and compliance testing was part of the suite or improvements they<\/p>\n proposed to the program last year. In fact, the stakeholder calls on<\/p>\n verification and testing will be held next week and NRDC will<\/p>\n participate. The<\/p>\n agencies have also taken immediate steps in response to the report.<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n You can fit this quite easily into the narrative <\/p>\n If you’re buying an appliance or laptop this Related Links:<\/strong><\/p>\n Koch Industries funds climate change deniers, Greenpeace reports<\/a><\/p>\n H&M’s organic line and the Wal-Mart perspective<\/a><\/p>\n China to de-stink landfill problem with giant deodorant guns<\/a><\/p>\n
\nEnergy Star has been praised as one of the government’s most successful
\nefficiency programs (until now anyway). Americans are used to seeing the logo
\non air conditioners, refrigerators, lamps, laptops, and other appliances.<\/p>\n
\nEnergy Star defender<\/a> in the past, wants<\/a> a stronger certification system:<\/p>\n
\nof “government bureaucrats can’t do anything right,” if that’s your ideological
\nbent. In this case, a select office of government bureaucracy seems to have
\nfailed—although fed auditors did discover the problem. To me, the more interesting issue is how to improve what the
\ngovernment’s already doing. Read Lane Burt<\/a> for more of that.<\/p>\n
\nweekend, Energy Star<\/a> is probably still
\na more trustworthy guide than anything else out there.<\/p>\n