How to Spread the Word About Appliance Standards in New Jersey

Using our New Jersey flip book to advocate for the environment

Brynn Furey

We often refer to appliance efficiency standards as one of the best environmental policies you’ve never heard of it — and it’s true. Appliance efficiency standards can make a meaningful impact on our planet, our health and our wallets by reducing energy and water waste and lowering harmful emissions. Unfortunately, they often get lost in the mix of more well-known policy options such as solar and wind energy. 

But that doesn’t have to be the case. Right now, New Jersey is considering updating its appliance efficiency standards — a move that could bring attention to the many benefits of energy efficiency. Assembly bill A5160 and it’s companion in the Senate, S3324, would update appliance efficiency standards for 18 products from residential air purifiers to commercial steam cookers. 

This would be a huge win. Embracing efficient appliances is an incredibly simple and cost-effective way for our leaders to both reduce dirty greenhouse gas emissions as well as our utility bills. Despite these bills’ common-sense appeal, we can’t take for granted that New Jersey lawmakers will act to strengthen these standards. 

The first step can be the hardest part — getting people to pay attention to a great policy that may seem obscure. To win on this issue, as many people as possible need to contact their state legislators to let them know that they care about this important policy and want to see it enacted.

So how do we get people excited about appliance efficiency standards in New Jersey? 

Well, you do it by getting creative. One of the tools that our team has crafted to generate buzz around the benefits of appliance standards is an appliance standards flip book. This eye-catching, colorful and easy-to-read flip book breaks down the benefits of stronger New Jersey appliance efficiency regulations into bite-size and easily-digestible chunks. Each page in the book can stand on its own or as a part of the larger story.

This is one page of our New Jersey flip book which shows that appliance standards would save enough electricity to power 32,000 homes annually. Created by: Graham Marema. 

How you can put the appliance standards flip book to work:

  1. Share the flip book on social media.

You can spread the word about appliance standards to your friends, family and other members of the public by sharing the flip book on social media. The flip book comes in two shapes: horizontal and square. You can share the horizontal graphics on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn as an album or even use them to change your cover photo. You can use the square graphics as an Instagram post or make them pop even more with some text and GIFs on your Instagram story. 

While the graphics are attention-grabbing, your caption will be the key to generating action on appliance standards. Make sure to include this link that will allow your followers to email their state legislators, so they can also take action to push the policy forward.

Also, don’t forget to tag your elected officials, NJPIRG and Environment New Jersey. You can find us on Twitter at @NJPIRG and @EnvironmentNJ or on Facebook at @NJPIRG and @EnvironmentNewJersey. You can connect with us on Instagram via our national accounts at @USPIRG and @EnvAm. 

  1. Send the graphics to friends and family.

In addition to sharing the benefits of appliance standards with your social media followers, you can send the book directly to friends and family. If they haven’t heard about appliance standards or don’t know about the New Jersey bill, the flip book will show them why this policy is so important. As with social media, don’t forget to include this link when you send out the book, so your friends and family can email their legislators in support of appliance standards.

  1. Print the graphics out and make them into a series of signs.  

The New Jersey flip book doesn’t have to be confined to the digital world. You can print out the graphics and use them as signs, flyers or posters. Put them outside your door; pin them on the wall behind you during a Zoom meeting (better yet, make one your Zoom background); or tack them to the bulletin board at town hall or a local coffee shop. The possibilities are endless! 

When we work together on appliance standards, we can take the best environmental policy you’ve never heard of and transform it into one that everyone is excited about. 

The New Jersey Appliance Standards Flip Book: Horizontal Version

The New Jersey Appliance Standards Flip Book: Square Version

 

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Brynn Furey

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