Save the Earth — Put on a Sweater

Tree-hugger! It isn't easy being green. — LD

SC Johnson's environmental Web site
shows families how to save money
while protecting the planet

RACINE, Wis. -- As temperatures dip, budget-conscious family members can expect to fight an age-old battle: whether to put on a sweater or raise the thermostat. Well, take heart: piling on layers does more than just reduce heating bills; it can help save the earth. Moving your thermostat down two degrees during cold months and up two degrees in summer can prevent as much as 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the earth's atmosphere -- the approximate equivalent of GHG emissions generated by a car driven from Cleveland to Los Angeles.

Adjusting your thermostat is one of many simple tips for families available on SC Johnson's new environmental Web site, http://www.scjohnson.com/environment On the site's Using Less Energy While Cleaning section learn to reduce electricity consumption by unplugging appliances when not in use since some appliances can draw electricity even when turned off. Visitors can also take a virtual tour of a house to learn how environmental stewardship begins at home, http://www.scjohnson.com/environment/doing_1.asp

"Conservation can happen in every room of the house," said Kelly M. Semrau, vice president of Global Public Affairs and Communication for SC Johnson. "For instance, many people aren't aware that showers can account for two-thirds of a home's water-heating costs. By taking SC Johnson's virtual home tour, families can discover how to reduce 300 pounds of carbon dioxide annually by installing a low-flow showerhead. They'll also learn how to cut their energy bill."

In addition to useful tips, SC Johnson's environmental Web site provides fun, interactive activities. There's a quiz to challenge your knowledge about social responsibility, a word-search game to test your identification skills, and a video that demonstrates how SC Johnson creates green energy from the waste methane produced by a public landfill. These are all located on the Doing Your Part section http://scjohnson.com/environment/doing_4.asp

The user-friendly Web site also provides an in-depth look at SC Johnson's progress in the following four key areas of environmental, social and corporate responsibility:

-- Growing Greener Products: Highlights SC Johnson's commitment to providing environmentally responsible products including the company's award-winning, patented Greenlist(TM) process, which transformed the way raw materials are selected and used
-- Conserving Critical Resources: Provides information about the company's continued commitment to finding alternative energy sources; outlines aggressive emission reduction goals
-- Preventing Dangerous Diseases: Features SC Johnson's work to help protect families from insect-borne diseases like malaria, dengue and asthma in high-risk areas around the world
-- Creating Stronger Communities: Presents company programs that help to improve the quality of life for families around the globe, from SC Johnson's groundbreaking work that creates partnerships with consumers in some of the world's poorest communities to volunteerism to philanthropy

While on the Web site, visitors can download SC Johnson's 2007 Public Report, Doing What's Right, Doing Our Part. SC Johnson's Public Report captures insights on sustainable development through third-party Q&As on topics from the environment to social progress. For example, Janet Ranganathan, from the World Resources Institute shares her insights on the importance of addressing climate change. The report also provides information on SC Johnson's sustainable development initiatives, including reaching more than 600,000 people in South Africa with malaria education, giving more than $160 million globally in philanthropic contributions toward efforts that improve quality of life, and being named among the Top 10 of FORTUNE magazine's 100 Best Companies to Work for in America for the third year in a row.

SC Johnson is a family-owned and managed business dedicated to innovative, high-quality products, excellence in the workplace and a long-term commitment to the environment and the communities in which it operates. Based in the USA, the company is one of the world's leading manufacturers of household cleaning products and products for home storage, air care, personal care and insect control. It markets such well-known brands as EDGE(R), GLADE(R), OFF!(R), PLEDGE(R), RAID(R), SCRUBBING BUBBLES(R), SHOUT(R), WINDEX(R) and ZIPLOC(R) in the U.S. and beyond, with brands marketed outside the U.S. including AUTAN(R), BAYGON(R), BRISE(R), ECHO(R), KABIKILLER(R), KLEAR(R), and MR. MUSCLE(R). The 121-year old company, with more than $7.5 billion in sales, employs approximately 12,000 people globally and sells products in more than 110 countries.

SOURCE: SC Johnson