Energy Star, on the Trump administration’s target list, has a long history of helping consumers’ wallets and the planet

The small blue Energy Star label has become one of the most recognizable environmental certifications in the US.

Magali A. Delmas, Professor of Management, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, Anderson School of Management, University of California, Los Angeles • conversation
June 12, 2025 • ~10 min

Appliance efficiency standards save consumers billions, reduce pollution and fight climate change

About 40% of total US energy consumption is used by household and industrial appliances, such as heating and cooling systems, refrigerators and lighting.

David J. Vogel, Professor Emeritus of Business Ethics and Political Science, University of California, Berkeley • conversation
April 17, 2025 • ~10 min

Is your gas stove bad for your health?

Natural gas has been marketed for decades as a clean fuel, but a growing body of research shows that gas stoves can contribute significantly to indoor air pollution, as well as climate change.

Jonathan Levy, Professor and Chair, Department of Environmental Health, Boston University • conversation
Sept. 13, 2022 • ~9 min

Climate change: efficiency labels really do encourage less energy use – but there's a better way of using them

The EU energy label, showing customers the energy consumption of what they’re buying, can be upgraded to help make more homes and buildings energy efficient.

David Comerford, Senior Lecturer of Economics and Behavioural Science, University of Stirling • conversation
May 26, 2022 • ~6 min

Magnetic induction cooking can cut your kitchen's carbon footprint

Shifting from fossil fuels to electricity is climate-friendly, but serious cooks don't think much of electric stoves. Will induction cooking finally catch on as an alternative?

Kenneth McLeod, Professor of Systems Science, and Director, Clinical Science and Engineering Research Laboratory, Binghamton University, State University of New York • conversation
Dec. 23, 2020 • ~9 min

Vibrators had a long history as medical quackery before feminists rebranded them as sex toys

From its roots as an electric version of snake oil, by the 1930s vibrators were just another household electric appliance that could soothe your pains at the end of a long day.

Kim Adams, Postdoctoral Lecturer in English, New York University • conversation
June 8, 2020 • ~10 min

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