>> Mark: Hey, I'm Mark Licea and this week the EPA cracks down on TV size. We'll tell you what browser will give you the most battery life on your laptop. And finally, we get around to some of your feedback. The Green Show starts now.
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>> Mark: Is a TV over 50 inches too big because the EPA seems to think so. They say that by May of next year if TV manufacturers want their oh so coveted 4.0 Energy Star sticker they're going to have to make their TV's 40% more efficient than a TV sold today. 5.0 stickers, which won't be effective until May of 2012, will require 65% more efficiency. Kaplan [assumed spelling] and the EPA say Energy Star guidelines will apply to TV's up to 50 inches and anything above that will follow the same efficiency criteria as a 50 inch model. Consumers may care more about picture quality and size than a sticker but if TV manufacturers can pull off an energy efficient TV over 50 inches, very cool. What time of day do you consume the most energy? Most people would have to think to figure out that answer but the Energy Aware Clock can tell you. A group of Swedish designers teamed up to create this device, which is now being shown at the Visual Voltage Exhibition in Brussels. In addition to telling time the device will visualize the power usage in any given space so you can decide whether or not to crank up the AC. I would think a device as cool looking as this would serve other functions, but no it's just pretty. Here's a good question, what browser can give you the most batter life on your laptop? A new article from Annantech compared the battery life on a laptop while running at different browsers. I thought it would be Google Chrome but it's not it's actually Internet Explorer. IE8 beat out Google's Chrome, Firefox and Opera by 5 to 10 minutes of batter life. And Safari was at the bottom of the list for being the worst choice for battery life. The first set of tests were run on a MacBook. As for Netbooks all browsers had nearly identical battery life aside from Safari 4 consuming the most battery life once again. So pretty much if you need to conserve battery life and an outlet isn't in sight use IE8. Finally, we've been asking for your feedback and we figured now it's time to respond. Our viewer Eric writes in, "Hey Mark, I saw your show about Cash for Clunkers for Appliances. I was wondering if you could send me the links for applying and getting new appliances installed that are Green." Well Eric the program is being rolled out on a state by state basis meaning you'll have to go through your local utility or local retailer to find more information on the rebates. Some states like California already offer similar rebates. But also keep in mind this program is very fresh so depending on where you live you might not hear back on this until sometime next year. I hope that helps. Next up, Josiah [assumed spelling] wrote to us, "I just finished watching the 826 Edition of the Green Show and I've got to say that I was pretty disappointed. As you and Jordan Price [assumed spelling] discussed CFL bulbs neither of you mentioned that the mercury vapor in these bulbs. These CFL bulbs must be properly disposed of or they will pose a huge threat to the environment. Please stop watering down your reporting." Josiah I definitely understand your concern with the light bulb segment. We didn't mention the toxic materials in the CFL bulbs but dude it's a 4 minute show and the purpose of that particular segment was to show people the different kinds of purchases that consumers can make on light bulbs. But I know CFL bulbs are a special case because they do contain mercury and I did reach out to our Senior Editor of Green tech Martin LaMonica [assumed spelling] and, basically, if you break a CFL bulb you should dump it with other hazardous waste or bring it to a hardware store that can properly dispose of them. But also keep in mind the amount of mercury that gets put into the air from a broken bulb is pretty low compared to say burning coal. I'm sorry for the watered down reporting. Yellow Ant [assumed spelling] also writes in with a few suggestions, "I like the idea of the show. Green technology is really important and interesting but there are a few things that I want to complain about. First of all, please change the main background of the show it just looks so lame, plastic windows and an empty room." He also goes on to say, "Why in the description of the show you're named Mark Licea but when you pronounce the name it sounds like Mark Hose?" Yeah, a few people have actually written in about the background. It doesn't really bother me all that much. I do kind of like the fact that I look like I'm in Play Station Home in Central Park. And about my name, Mark Licea, Mark Licea, Mark Hose I think it sounds fine but I will definitely try to annunciate better just for you. That's it for this week. Send your feedback to GreenShow@CNET.com. I'm Mark Licea, thanks for watching.
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