(Silver Spring, MD) November 16, 2006 - A pioneering program to offset shipping-related carbon-dioxide (CO2) emissions, Carbonfree™ Shipping, is being launched today, according to Carbonfund.org. The program was designed in conjunction with Carnegie Mellon University's Green Design Institute. It involves a breakthrough method for calculating shipping-related carbon dioxide emissions. The first four companies to participate in the program are BetterWorld.com, evo (Evogear.com), 3r Living, and alonovo.com.

How the Program Works

When a shipment travels from a warehouse to its destination, fossil fuels are burned, producing CO2. CO2 is one of the primary gases contributing to climate change. Carbonfund.org worked with a research team at Carnegie Mellon to design a proprietary method for determining how much CO2 is produced by each shipment.

The shipping industry moves billions of units every year and accounts for more than 600 million tons of CO2, according to US government figures. This is more than the CO2 emissions for the entire country of Canada. The Carbonfree™ Shipping program has the opportunity to revolutionize how this industry deals with its carbon emissions by providing an easy and affordable offset solution. A typical package will cost just a few pennies to offset the climate impact, depending on the weight of the shipment, the method of shipment, and the distance the package will travel.

How Carbon Offsetting Works

The initial program partners - BetterWorld.com, evo, 3r Living, and alonovo.com - have agreed to "offset" the CO2 created by their shipments. Carbon offsets zero out CO2 emissions from one source by reducing the emissions from another. For example, Carbonfund.org uses offset funds to support renewable energy projects such as wind and bio-fuels that reduce or offset CO2. Carbonfund.org also supports energy efficiency and reforestation projects that effectively rendering the activity "carbon neutral". Offsetting helps underwrite the development of a renewable energy infrastructure.

Starting today, all shipments from BetterWorld.com will be Carbonfree™, Evogear.com and 3r Living will offer the Carbonfree™ option to their customers; alonovo.com is integrating the option into their platform.
"This is a big step forward for the fast-growing carbon offset industry," says Eric Carlson, executive director of Carbonfund.org. "This program demonstrates that individuals and companies can have an impact on this global problem, one shipment at a time. It also proves that it's not nearly as expensive to deal with climate change as many people might think."

Professor Scott Matthews, project leader for Carnegie Mellon's Green Design Institute and an expert on the impact of material movement, agrees. "The application we've developed for this shipping program is scalable and can easily be modified to meet the needs of other businesses," Matthews said. "This methodology could have a very broad effect on the way we address commercially-produced CO2 emissions."

About Carbonfund.org

Carbonfund.org ( http://www.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.

About Green Design Institute

Carnegie Mellon University's Green Design Institute is a major interdisciplinary research effort designed to make an impact on environmental quality through green design. The institute forms partnerships with companies, government agencies and foundations to develop pioneering design, management, manufacturing and regulatory processes that can improve environmental quality and product quality while enhancing economic development. Carnegie Mellon's researchers are developing practical pollution prevention technologies and lowering costs, by recycling scarce resources, using fewer materials and creating better products.

About BetterWorld.com

Can you fund literacy, care for the environment, and get a fair price on the books you want? Yep. You can at BetterWorld.com. BetterWorld.com offers almost 2 million used books for sale online. These reclaimed books are stored in on reused library shelving in a former paper plant in Mishawaka, IN. Every book is tied to literacy programs, their purchase helping to build schools, fill libraries and sponsor girls' scholarships worldwide. With free shipping in the USA and $2.97 shipping worldwide, BetterWorld.com offers great value for the conscious book buyer.

Better World Books (BetterWorld.com) was founded by three college friends who formed a social venture, a business with the mission to promote literacy. A single book drive at one university has grown into a nationwide effort with thousands of people involved, all looking to improve the quality of life for people through literacy. We believe that literacy gives people water to drink, imparts knowledge to eliminate disease, and develops self-esteem that enables people to make their mark on the world. Our story has taken us to places we had never seen. Our dream is to continue to work for those whom we have never met.

About 3r Living

Samantha Delman-Caserta and Mark Caserta opened their Brooklyn store in Spring 2004. Samantha's retail experience and Mark's background working on environmental issues inspired 3r Living, a home decor and lifestyle store dedicated to "Future Friendly Products." The response has been enthusiastic and gratifying. The products that you'll find both in the store and online are carefully selected with the principles of reducing waste, reusing unwanted or discarded materials, and recycling in mind. Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. 3r.

That means we favor manufacturers and artisans who dedicate their talents to creating clever, modern, and earth-affirming products out of unwanted everyday items. In addition, we look for fairly-traded products and those made from organic ingredients. We encourage manufacturers to use environmentally-friendly packaging and sustainable manufacturing techniques. You can feel comfortable that our products have been pre-screened for these criteria and, therefore, your purchases are consistent with your 3r lifestyle.

About evo

Professional skier, Bryce Phillips, started evo and launched Evogear.com out of his living room in 2001; the idea was to sell enough skis to support the endless winter lifestyle. Five years later evo is all grown up with over 40 employees and a landmark retail store in Seattle, but even with all the growth evo is still committed to the roots it was built on. This commitment is immediately evident walking into the Seattle headquarters; the "office" looks more like a group of friends hanging out than one of Washington's fastest growing businesses, and the standard question for any interview is always "Tell me your funniest story."

This unique blend of business in the front, party in the back, makes evo one of the most exciting places to buy skis, snowboards, wakeboards, and lifestyle clothing. The company is committed to implementing green practices and offers employee incentives to limit fossil fuel consumption. Whether it is lifestyle, marketplace, or sport, evo offers a healthy and balanced perspective toward life, and always remains totally customer focused.

About alonovo.com

alonovo.com provides a free, social values-driven online shopping experience for its rapidly growing community. By directly integrating trusted corporate behavior data coupled with a large, price-competitive array of products into a visually compelling and simple user experience, alonovo.com makes it easier and more attractive to redirect consumer spending in ways that reflect individual social and environmental values. The alonovo.com mission is to catalyze a constructive relationship between an informed marketforce demand (consumers) and the entire supply and distribution chain. This will facilitate a "race to the top" among businesses that are working to balance people, planet and profit by connecting operational behavior directly with the profit motive through competition for product sales.

Carbonfund.org

Carbonfund.org

Carbonfund.org (www.carbonfund.org) reduces the threat of climate change by making it easy 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 nationally recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit business, and a member of the EPA's Green Power Network, the Chicago Climate Exchange, and Ceres. Carbonfree and "Reduce what you can, offset what you can't" are trademarks of the Carbonfund.org Foundation.

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