Slate Readers Enlisted to Improve Personal Energy Efficiency at the Hive, Inaugural Event Marking New Slate Series

WASHINGTON, D.C.--Slate readers will join leading experts in the field of energy conservation as well as Slate editors this evening, Wednesday, March 10, at the House of Sweden in Washington, D.C., to brainstorm a variety of compelling, useful, and unconventional ways for Americans to use less energy in their homes and save money. Called “The Hive,” the event is part of a new Slate enterprise that intends to harness the collective intelligence of Slate readers to help solve real problems through its online magazine and via live events. “The Efficient Life,” the first in The Hive series, is sponsored exclusively by Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA).

“We’ve been working on environmentally oriented vehicles for decades and now it seems that the market is actually ready to consider them”

The Hive kicked off last month with a feature story by Slate business columnist Daniel Gross. Since then, more than 450 solutions suggesting ways to save energy have already been served up by readers. At the live event, readers will hear from leading experts in energy efficiency including David Katz, Special Assistant to the Secretary at the U.S. Department of Energy; Lane Burt, Manager of Building Energy Policy for the Natural Resources Defense Council; Rebecca Craft, Director of Energy Efficiency at Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc.; and Lisa Hymas, Grist Senior Editor and Co-Founder. Daniel Gross will moderate.

Following the panel, the audience will be divided in smaller groups to come up with ideas about how to engage Americans on the subject of energy efficiency, the best ways for utility companies and their customers to collaborate to reduce energy, the best investments Americans can make in their homes, including technology they can use that will complement energy efficient living, and policies that might compel American to be more energy efficient. These ideas will be published and publicized on Slate. Ten winning ideas, culled from suggestions brought about during live event and from those submitted online will be selected by a panel of expert judges at the end of March, and presented to policy makers.

“If there’s anything we’ve learned at Slate over the years, it’s that our readers are brilliant, creative and practical,” said David Plotz, editor of Slate. “The Hive—and our first project in it, The Efficient Life—is our effort to collaborate with our readers to generate ideas that really might improve the world.”

“We’ve been working on environmentally oriented vehicles for decades and now it seems that the market is actually ready to consider them,” said Sascha Simon, head of product planning for Mercedes-Benz USA. “At this juncture it is crucial that we all work together collaboratively – companies and consumers – to bring forward the best thinking and the products that reflect that thinking. Then it comes down to each of us individually to keep this progression going by virtue of the choices we make as consumers.”

The exclusive sponsor of The Efficient Life is Mercedes-Benz USA. For more information about The Efficient Life, The Hive, and to view the most popular Slate reader entries to-date for how to live life more efficiently, please visit http://www.slate.com/id/2244405/.

About Slate (www.slate.com)

Slate is a daily magazine on the Web. Founded in 1996, we offer analysis and commentary about news, politics, culture, business, law, and technology. Slate's strong editorial voice and witty take on current events have been recognized with numerous awards, including the National Magazine Award for General Excellence Online and the Missouri Honor Medal for Distinguished Service in Journalism. Slate reaches 6 million unique visitors per month, and is published by the Slate Group, an online publishing subsidiary of the Washington Post Co.

About Mercedes-Benz USA

Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA), headquartered in Montvale, New Jersey, is responsible for the distribution, marketing and customer service for all Mercedes-Benz and Maybach products in the United States. MBUSA offers drivers the most diverse line-up in the luxury segment with 12 model lines ranging from the sporty C-Class to the flagship S-Class sedans and CL coupes.

MBUSA is also responsible for the distribution, marketing and customer service of Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Vans in the US. More information on MBUSA and its products can be found at www.mbusa.com and www.mbsprinterusa.com.

Accredited journalists can connect with and follow us at:

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