After reading the “Any Other Bright Ideas” article featured in the Home and Garden section of the New York Times Martha Stewart was “immediately drawn” to CFLs and the idea of being able to save the environment at the same time as saving money on her electricity bill. After sharing the article with her producer they decided this issue was worthy of further discussion.

On July 16 The Martha Stewart Show aired a eight minute segment featuring TCP’s SpringLight CFL. The SpringLight CFL was the main CFL showcased on the program. Martha was amazed that it ““seemed to go on right away”, “they don’t burn out”, and that’s its “a really nice size”. She also felt that the TCP SpringLight CFL was “perfect for a bedroom side table or a living room table”.

Click Here to view this segment of the July 16 episode.

The Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI) is playing an integral part in helping cities implement climate protection programs by providing a purchasing alliance for cities that will make green products more accessible and affordable.  The partnership will enable an additional eleven hundred cities to gain access to volume discounts on energy-efficient and clean-energy products and technologies through CCI’s purchasing consortium. Previously, these benefits were available only to the , a group of forty of the world’s largest cities working in concert to fight climate change.

In 2007, efforts by The U. S. Conference of Mayors were critical to Congress passing the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG), which will allocate as much as $2 billion to cities every year for five years.  The funds would be used on climate protection initiatives, including energy efficient lighting in residential, commercial and industrial applications.  Once the funding is appropriated, cities can work with groups like the CCI to purchase products that will help reduce their carbon footprint.

TCP is proud to be working with the CCI on their new program for U.S. mayors by offering a variety of energy efficient lighting products to cities looking to retrofit existing buildings, or install new energy efficient lighting in new construction.

Although the U.S. Conference of Mayors labeled their annual meeting in Miami, June 20-24, as their first “green” annual meeting, the issue of climate protection is not a new topic for this group.  They’ve been on the front lines, more than 850 strong, pledging to make climate protection a priority in cities from coast to coast.

There is a new angle to how mayors are discussing climate protection.  Unlike previous annual meetings, when it was one item on the agenda, this year, the issue weaved its way through the entire conference.  Task force committees shared best practices for energy, sustainable freight, community trees, and water quality.

Beyond “greening” the meeting with hybrid transportation and green lodging, mayors were quick to discuss how climate protection is impacting other aspects of city government.  For example, when reviewing the economy, mayors shared how the emergence of “green” collar jobs and environmental technologies are helping cities offer new employment opportunities to residents and attract new companies.

Energy efficient practices, such as fluorescent lighting and solar panels, which were once only addressed around the topic of climate protection, are now being discussed as a way for cities to cut costs amid rising fuel prices.

The mayors are working with the business community to find innovative solutions that will benefit their residents and help our planet too.   TCP is a member of the USCM business council and a charter member of the climate protection council.  In this role, TCP can advise the mayors as they navigate the unchartered waters of making cities more sustainable.

It’s very clear – climate protection is no longer an issue that stands alone.  Its impact can be felt in nearly every aspect of city government.  This annual meeting is a strong testament to the progress they’ve made and a promise for greener, healthier, more livable cities and TCP is committed to helping their efforts.

The 76th Annual Meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) wrapped up last week in Miami with hundreds of mayors from across the country coming together to address the most pressing issues facing cities. TCP was the title sponsor of the four-day conference, which was billed as the first “green” annual meeting with special attention given to hybrid transportation, energy efficient lighting, green lodging and water conservation, to name a few.

TCP CEO Ellis Yan addressed the mayors on the importance of energy efficiency, specifically energy efficient lighting, in helping to reduce energy costs and carbon dioxide emissions in their cities. Climate protection has always been top of mind for mayors, with more than 850 signing the Climate Protection Agreement, urging cities to meet or beat the criteria outlined in the Kyoto Protocol.

Meeting highlights included keynote speeches by presumptive Democratic Presidential nominee Senator Barack Obama and former President Bill Clinton, who both encouraged mayors to make climate protection a priority in their communities.

The annual meeting also welcomed a new USCM President. Miami Mayor Manny Diaz was inaugurated as the group’s 66th President, only the second Hispanic to lead the mayors. He pledged to continue pushing both the Republican and Democratic nominees to support the mayors bipartisan “10-Point Plan …Strong Cities …Strong Families for a Strong America,” which includes specific recommendations for the next President of the U.S.

For more information on the annual meeting and to view speeches from the conference, click here.

Hello and welcome to the TCP’s blog “Bright Point”! We are excited to be launching our blog, and are looking forward to sharing news and information on TCP, our product categories, industry trends, and other topics that make TCP the leader in energy efficiency.

We will be featuring knowledge and insights from a number of sources, including but not limited to, TCP employees, reps, agents, distributors, specifiers, and industry news sources.  If you have an idea for a blog post, please contact us, or feel free to ask us questions - We can’t wait to hear from you!