A novel photo essay sweepstakes wants contestants to check out what’s underneath their desks and take a picture of the mess—warts and all. That’s wall warts, of course. Green Plug, which manufactures green power components, will announce the winners on Earth Day, Apr. 22. The sweepstakes highlights the need for a single, universal power architecture for electronic devices, according to the company. Such a standard could prevent hundreds of millions of power supplies every year from being tossed into landfills—maximizing resources, minimizing solid waste, and conserving energy.
“Consider this a case of show and tell,” said Green Plug CEO Frank Paniagua Jr. “We’re looking for examples of a problem that plagues each and every one of us—that unsightly tangle of wires, black bricks, and wall warts that supply your computer, printer, phone, desk lamp, and who knows what else. Just multiply what’s at your feet by millions. That’s how it is that a staggering 379 million discarded and obsolete external power supplies are destined to end up in U.S. landfills this year alone.”
Contestants should snap a picture of what they see under their desks and post it to http://greenplugcontest.typepad.com. Be sure to write a suitable caption for your picture. Green Plug will randomly select a photo submission from those received. First prize is lunch in Beverly Hills with “green advocates” Christopher Knight and Adrianne Curry, co-hosts of the VH-1 reality show, “My Fair Brady.” The second place winner will receive a $500 gift certificate to Wal-Mart, while Green Plug will make a $250 donation to the third place winner’s favorite green nonprofit organization.
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