Have you ever heard about a gasoline powered alarm clock? What about gasoline powered grandfather clocks with the Energy Star seal of approval from the US Government.
Well, throughout history, as the saying goes, truth can be stranger than fiction. Unbelievably, the USA Government’s Energy Department’s system for qualifying for the EnergyStar Seal of approval for many products, allowed approval for many products, including the gasoline powered alarm clock and other products, that well, did not actually even exist! There was also an “air purifier” that was actually an electric space heater with a feather duster pasted on top that also received the right to use the Energy Star Seal of approval.
Congressional Auditors posting as several different companies submitted these and other bogus products to see how effective the vetting process for receiving the EnergyStar seal of approval really was.
In its defense, the program managers said that only preliminary steps were passed in many if not all of the cases, and that a required “human review” had not yet taken place. That was the case for the gasoline powered alarm clock, among others, said the Agency. We really wish someone had also submitted a fake diesel powered grandfather clocks application or a water powered wall clocks model. Or perhaps antique grandfather clocks powered by history.
Watchdogs within the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy, among others, have been somewhat cynical of the effectiveness of the program and how helpful it really is it identifying individual products that are truly energy efficient. As we understand it, at least historically, some companies that qualified for this rating for one product were automatically therefore allowed to advertise the sign on other products that had never been submitted for any testing.
No doubt this program will from now on start to receive the attention and credibility that would greatly benefit consumers and businesses with lower costs and lower world dependence on depleting natural resources.
Very seriously, 1-800-4CLOCKS.com calls for Energy Standards to be considered and implemented by our government, and hopefully international agreement, that over time will be both uniform and help set forward thinking and planning goals that will help us all. If you agree, please write to your Congressional representatives and President Obama.
As for the gasoline powered alarm clock, don’t hold your breath. Or on second thought, if you do somehow get a gasoline powered alarm clock, holding your breath may in fact be the best course of action 🙂 .