Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Green Junk: Energy Star's Falling Standards

New agency rules may be at odds with legislation

Thursday October 22, 2009 8:11 a.m.
By Michelle Chen

As the market for energy efficient products booms, consumers are increasingly dependent on regulatory protections that help them separate green goods from green junk.

That was supposed to be the idea behind Energy Star, a federal program that certifies the energy efficiency of certain washing machines, DVD players refrigerators and other products and appliances. But the program has come under fire for slack standards that encourage manufacturers to greenwash their products. Now, lawmakers' reform efforts are reportedly running up against friction from the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy, and some wonder if the agencies are simply trying to do an end-run around congressional authority.

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