2.07.2007 - 03:00pm ET

(CSRwire) Chicago, IL -- February 7, 2007-- flowerpetal.com and Carbonfund.org are taking a stand against destroying the environment for the sake of love this Valentine’s Day. These companies are partnering to offset the emissions created through the distribution and delivery of flowers on February 14th, 2007.

“Utilizing Carbonfund.org’s Carbonfree™ shipping application to calculate the carbon emissions involved in running our business took the fresh smell of flowers out of the equation for us. We want to make an industry leading statement about global warming this Valentine’s Day: we call on ALL other flower distributors across the country to join us in offsetting and reducing their CO2 emissions,” says Brian Crummy, President of flowerpetal.com, an online flower and gift e-tailer. “Carbonfund.org provides the tools to accurately account for a business’s entire carbon footprint and a way to easily offset that which cannot be reduced,” adds Crummy.

According to the Society of American Florists between 85-98% of the most common fresh cut flowers are imported from South America by plane and later distributed via truck, creating carbon emissions. This adds up to over 9,000 metric tons of CO2 that will be emitted into the Earth’s atmosphere enabling lucky Valentines to receive their cherished dozen long stems. Carbonfund.org used its Carbonfree™ shipping application, which was developed jointly with Carnegie Mellon University’s Green Design Institute, to calculate the impact of the shipment and delivery of flowers and then helped flowerpetal.com offset the resulting CO2.

“We applaud flowerpetal.com for their leadership on climate change,” said Eric Carlson, Carbonfund.org’s executive director. “Not only is flowerpetal.com taking responsibility for the carbon footprint associated with its own operations, it is also making a significant outreach effort to its customers to engage them on climate change and demonstrate how easy taking action can be,” he adds.

Carbonfund.org takes its contributions from individual and business donors and puts that money towards carbon reduction projects. Its “offsetting” process makes up for the emissions that contributors create by reducing them in other places via the funding of domestic ventures including wind farms, methane generated electricity, solar powered homes, and reforestation.

“We encourage every business in this country to go Carbonfree™, not just on Valentine’s Day, but every day until we’ve gotten control over this climate issue,” says Crummy. “And don’t forget your loved one will expect at least a dozen long stems next Wednesday,” he adds.

About flowerpetal.com
Flowerpetal.com is a progressive flower and gift e-tailer focused on providing simple and convenient gifting solutions in a socially responsible manner. Flowerpetal.com is based in Chicago and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Lemonade Pi, Inc. (www.flowerpetal.com)

About Carbonfund.org
Carbonfund.org reduces the threat of climate change by making it simple and affordable for any individual or business to reduce their carbon footprint and support climate-friendly projects. With its easy-to-use calculator, low offset cost per ton of CO2, and certified offset projects, Carbonfund.org is proving that anyone can reduce their impact on climate change easily and efficiently. Carbonfund.org is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and a member of the EPA’s Green Power Partnership, the Chicago Climate Exchange, and Ceres.(www.carbonfund.org)

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