5.06.2008 - 06:00am ET

(CSRwire) ACTON, MA - May 5, 2008 - The LiveCooler Foundation, Inc. has created a new carbon offset that gives donors the opportunity to balance their carbon dioxide emissions by providing energy-saving lightbulbs to low-income families. LiveCooler's first wave of bulb installs has provided over 1,400 energy-efficient bulbs to 180 low-income families in New England and Washington, DC.

"These first 1,400 bulbs that we are installing on behalf of our donors, will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 340 tons and reduce low-income electricity bills by $65,000 over the next 5 years," says Jay Barnes, LiveCooler's Executive Director.

The purchase of a traditional carbon offset typically funds part of a large renewable energy, methane capture or tree-planting project that is often already complete as a way of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and making these technologies profitable for their operators.

LiveCooler's carbon offsets are different because LiveCooler starts a new carbon dioxide reduction project on behalf of each donor and the profit goes to low-income families and their non-profit housing providers in the form of electricity cost savings.

LiveCooler's donors are individuals and corporations who are concerned about global warming and want to soften the impact of their carbon dioxide emissions. "A $59 donation to LiveCooler replaces 21 lightbulbs with energy-efficient lightbulbs in the homes of 3 families," says Mr. Barnes.

Those bulbs, called compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) lower demand for electricity from coal-fired power plants, a big source of greenhouse gases.

Each energy-efficient lightbulb LiveCooler installs reduces an average of 73 KWh of electricity use per year, which reduces 118 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions, according to Mr. Barnes. The problem is that the initial purchase price of these CFLs are five to ten times more expensive than traditional incandescent bulbs.

"If you are having trouble making ends meet each month, a more expensive lightbulb is not at the top of your shopping list," points out Mr. Barnes.

Eliminating the cost of the bulbs for the low-income family and making sure the bulbs get installed, rather than put on a shelf, is where LiveCooler hopes to make a difference.


About The LiveCooler Foundation

The LiveCooler Foundation is a non-profit (501c3) organization whose mission is create a new source of funding to fight global warming while helping the less fortunate. The new source of funding comes from tax-deductible purchases of LiveCooler's charitable carbon offsets by businesses and individuals that want to balance the impact of their carbon footprint.

LiveCooler uses the revenue to donate compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs) to low-income families that can't afford them.

Switching to CFLs means:

1. Lower monthly electricity bills for the low-income families.
2. Less CO2 created by electricity power plants.

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