LifeSmarts: Empowering Teens to Be “Green” Consumers – National Consumers League

By John Breyault, Vice President of Public Policy, Telecommunications and Fraud

It seems not a day goes by without a warning about threats faced by our environment. From toxic runoff to climate change to endangered species, the planet has never been in greater need of protection and care. Fortunately, there are small things that individual consumers can do to help protect the planet. From recycling trash, to using less energy-intensive forms of transportation, to just turning off the lights when leaving a room, small actions can add up in a big way.

It is these individual contributions to “green” living that LifeSmarts seeks to teach teen participants. LifeSmarts competitors learn how to lessen their impact on the environment in the numerous hours spent studying for the online and live competitions that form the heart of the LifeSmarts program.

The theme of this year’s National Consumer Protection Week is “NCPW.gov: Your Information Destination.” Fortunately for our LifeSmarts teams, information on how to live greener is only a mouse click away. The LifeSmarts program features numerous study guides to help teens get smart about being more environmentally conscious consumers.

As the teens get closer to their competition dates, they learn about the meanings of terms like “carbon footprint,” “greenwashing,” and “smart meters.” Getting educated about these topics not only helps teams do better in the competitions, but also provides teens a solid grounding in living responsibly.

For more information on LifeSmarts, visit LifeSmarts.org.  For more information on National Consumer Protection Week, visit ncpw.gov.