Southeast Texans Invited to ‘Make an Impact’ on Global Climate Change

Local Event to Feature Carbon Footprint Calculations, Earth-conscious Marketplace

October 15, 2009 -- Beaumont, Texas – A footprint used to be what your kids left on the kitchen floor. Or maybe it was what police used to track a thief. Now, add the word “carbon” and your footprint figures into one of today’s biggest issues.

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For Southeast Texans interested in finding out what the fuss is all about, Entergy Texas, Inc., and the Pew Center on Global Climate Change are joining forces to launch a new program, “Make an Impact.” The launch is set for 2-4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21, at the John Gray Center on the Lamar University campus. Make an Impact is designed to give Entergy Texas customers, the community and its employees the knowledge and tools to reduce personal energy use, save money and make a difference in the fight against climate change.

Speakers for the event include Jennifer Denney, Make an Impact program manager from the Pew Center; Dr. Jim Westgate, Lamar’s university professor of Earth and Space Sciences; and Michael Hoke, managing director of the Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center in Orange.

A highlight of the Make an Impact launch will feature Joe Domino, president and chief executive officer, Entergy Texas, Inc. Domino will lend his own carbon footprint to a workshop session in which he and Denney will use a Web-based calculator to determine his personal impact on the environment.

Additionally, those attending will have the opportunity to browse through an Earth-friendly marketplace featuring displays from a number of local organizations and groups. The marketplace will include the following organizations:

* Jefferson County AgriLife Extension Office.
* South East Texas Regional Planning Commission ‘Go Green’ initiative.
* Texas Recyclers of Port Arthur.
* Solar-Bright Star Solutions of Sour Lake.
* Free Lighting of Houston, a company that performs energy efficiency work such as weatherization and duct sealing.
* Clear Results of Houston, an energy efficiency consultant for schools and businesses.
* Hardin Fuels, a Hardin County-based company that produces bio-diesel fuel.
* City of Kountze recycling initiative, a program to separate waste into re-usable categories.
* Entergy Texas, which will present a variety of information about energy saving programs and opportunities for customers.

Entergy Texas will also have on hand the latest addition to its fleet – a hybrid bucket truck that includes a 340-volt Lithium Ion battery capable of operating the truck’s boom and providing energy for driving up to 30 miles per hour.

Source: Entergy Texas, Inc.