2.14.2006 ET

(CSRwire) (Silver Spring, MD)Media Advisory - Carbonfund.org Climate Challenge

"On One-Year Anniversary of Kyoto Protocol, Carbonfund.org Launches Climate Challenge, Making it Easy and Affordable for Anyone to Reduce their Climate Impact"

"Climate Challenge Asks Every Individual, Business to Reduce their Climate Impact to Zero, Working Assets to Match First 100,000 ZeroCarbon Supporters"

February 16th is the one-year anniversary of the Kyoto Protocol taking effect. Contrary to what some predicted, the sky has not fallen, and the vast majority of the industrialized world is taking significant steps toward reducing their carbon dioxide emissions to reduce the threat of climate change.

While the United States has not ratified Kyoto, responsible individuals, organizations and businesses, such as Working Assets and the National Wildlife Federation, are joining with Carbonfund.org taking steps to reduce their impact on climate change by offsetting the carbon dioxide they are responsible for.

On February 16th, Carbonfund.org, a national nonprofit organization that makes it easy and affordable for anyone to reduce their climate impact, is launching the Climate Challenge. The Climate Challenge is asking individuals, organizations and businesses to reduce their climate impact (or carbon footprint) by supporting renewable energy, energy efficiency and reforestation.

The Challenge is simple: anyone can join just by going to www.carbonfund.org and offsetting their carbon emissions. The typical person can reduce their direct carbon emissions for less the $5.00 per month. Or they can go ZeroCarbon for less than $9.00 and offset their entire carbon footprint.

The direct carbon emissions contribution supports the offset of 10 tons of CO2, while the ZeroCarbon donation offsets 18 tons.

Working Assets will match five additional tons of CO2 reductions for the first 100,000 people who go ZeroCarbon.

About Carbon Offsets
Carbon offsets is the process of reducing an amount of pollution in one place to offset its use somewhere else. We are all responsible for carbon dioxide emissions, the key greenhouse and global warming gas, when we use electricity from coal fired power plants, gas to heat our homes, and gasoline in our cars or when we fly. While there are actions we can and should take to reduce our energy use -including using efficient lighting, driving fuel efficient cars and insulating our homes- we can not cost effectively reduce our carbon footprint where we live.

Carbonfund.org supporters make a tax deductible donation that supports a given amount of, for instance, wind energy development in South Dakota, where it is cost effective to produce wind power. Supporters become effectively climate neutral or ZeroCarbon by offsetting their emissions.

Carbonfund.org is proving just how simple it is to reduce our climate impact to zero. Carbonfund.org is showing that every American can reduce their climate impact to zero for just $8.25 a month, while also supporting jobs and investment in America. Carbon offsets are simply the most cost-effective way for most people to reduce their climate impact and show just how simple and affordable it is to stop the threat of climate change.

Climate Challenge Partners
Working Assets, the socially responsible telephone company, is offsetting their entire office carbon footprint. They are also providing five additional tons of CO2 offsets free fro the first 100,000 people who go ZeroCarbon during the Challenge.

The National Wildlife Federation is offsetting their upcoming annual conference with Carbonfund.org and will be exploring additional ways to inform their membership about the Challenge and carbon offsets.

Tour Jet, an executive jet travel company, is offsetting all the emissions from their flights through Carbonfund.org, and supporting reforestation projects in California.

Others
Goodbaker - a Massachusetts vegetarian bakery
Ceres - an association of socially and environmentally responsible companies
Spirit Walker - an Alaska-based sea kayaking company

About Climate Change
The science of climate change is settled. Study after study consistently shows climate change is happening and may be getting worse, faster than people predicted. The warmest years on record have all occurred since 1980 and 2005 was the warmest year ever. Concentrations of CO2 are at their highest point in 650,000 years. And on January 18th, every former and current head of the US Environmental Protection Agency met in Washington. The group of five Republicans and one Democrat were all asked whether they believe climate change is happening and whether humans are responsible for it. Everyone agreed, including current EPA chief Stephen Johnson.

WHEN: Thursday, February 16th - April 20th, Earth Day

WHAT: Carbonfund.org Climate Challenge
Challenging individuals and businesses to reduce their climate impact to zero and proving just how simple and affordable it is to reduce your climate impact.

WHERE: National

WHO: Individuals, Businesses and Nonprofits

Suggested Story Ideas:

• See the practical and affordable actions leading companies and organizations are taking to reduce the threat of climate change

• See just how easy it is to reduce the threat of climate change while supporting clean, efficient technology

• While some pundits suggest meeting the Kyoto Protocol goals will cost hundreds of billions of dollars and bankrupt the country, Carbonfund.org is showing that anyone can go well beyond the Kyoto target for less than $5 per month per person.

• Working Assets it putting its money where its mouth by offering a five ton of CO2 match for the first 100,000 people who go ZeroCarbon ($99/yr or $8.25/mo) by offsetting 18 tons.

• Carbonfund.org reduces CO2 for just $5.50 per ton. Compare against others charging twice this and more (Native Energy $12/ton; Bonneville Environment Foundation $30/ton; Terrapass $11/ton). Carbonfund.org is also a nonprofit organization making donations to it tax deductible.

• Carbonfund.org is putting public service before profit, pioneering a concept to make it easy and affordable for anyone to reduce their climate impact. Carbonfund.org is single-handedly bringing down the cost of carbon offsets and climate change mitigation.

• Next month, Carbonfund.org will offer a green electricity program, similar to many utility programs, that will also significantly reduce the cost of green electricity. The program will support wind energy projects throughout the US.

• Carbonfund.org recently supported a wind energy farm on the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation, supporting Native American jobs and investment along with clean energy.

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