Green Madness

Tension, excitement, environmental guilt—one of these emotions may be introduced as the latest newcomer to next year’s March Madness if some lawmakers get their way. As part of president Obama’s sweeping energy reform platform, television manufacturers may be required to inform consumers of the estimated annual energy costs of new televisions. “Televisions have a huge range of energy consumption,” said James Kohm, associate director of the FTC’s enforcement division. “This will allow consumers to see the true cost of the TV.” The EPA estimates that consumers could save $1 billion in energy costs if all TVs sold met the new goals; in other words, a deeper chip bowl and wider beer selection for college basketball fans.