Silver Spring, MD - December 4, 2006 - Ecobusinesslinks.com, which conducts monthly independent, side-by-side comparisons of carbon offset companies and products, ranked Carbonfund.org at the top of its latest list, issued on December 2nd.

"Carbonfund.org is clearly the best value in the industry and has been since the survey's inception in February," said Edgard Swinnen, editor of Ecobusinesslinks.com. "They offer high-quality verified offsets at a price comparable to what large companies and institutions pay. Simply, Carbonfund.org charges its retail customers closer to the wholesale price than other organizations."

Since it was founded in 2003, Carbonfund.org's prices have been consistently lower than those of other providers (three to five times lower than some of its competitors). The non-profit has championed high-quality offsets as a way to neutralize CO2 emissions while helping develop a clean energy infrastructure, increase the supply of renewable energy and reduce the price to make it more competitive with traditional sources.

"Carbon offsets empower individuals and businesses to make a direct impact in the fight against global warming," said Carbonfund.org executive director Eric Carlson. "Our goal is to democratize environmental protection."

Carbon offsetting is a mechanism that allows individuals, companies and institutions to achieve parity between the CO2 they create and the CO2 they reduce. The typical American is responsible for 23 metric tons of CO2 emissions each year. Offsets reduce the CO2 created in one location (for instance, by your car or from heating your home) by funding clean energy somewhere else (like a wind farm.) Offset consumers begin by calculating their annual CO2 emissions using calculators provided on most offset company websites. They then reduce their emissions to the extent possible through energy efficiency and buy offsets to make up the difference of those emissions they can't reduce.

Carbonfund.org uses the contributions it receives to support high-quality carbon offset projects from renewable energy, reforestation and energy efficiency.

Carbonfund.org purchases renewable energy certificates (RECs) certified by the Green-e program, the largest renewable energy certification program in the US. The US Air Force, US EPA, Wells Fargo and hundreds of other companies and institutions purchase Green-e RECs. Carbonfund.org also supports energy efficiency and reforestation projects. Offsets purchased from non-profit institutions like Carbonfund.org are tax deductible.

"Carbonfund.org deserves credit for helping make high-quality offsets as affordable for individuals and small businesses as they are for institutional purchasers," Swinnen said.

'Since virtually all new energy development over the last fifty years has been based on cost, when we are successful at driving the cost of wind below that of new coal, we expect to see a massive shift in energy investment to renewables, creating a ceiling on CO2 emissions and a gradual reduction," Carlson said. "That is the aim of Carbonfund.org and the hope of carbon offsets."

"Carbonfund.org has offset more than 100,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide since the firm's inception three years ago. The National Wildlife Federation, Working Assets, WebEx and Rutherfoord are among the nearly 100 participating organizations offsetting their climate impact with Carbonfund.org. Better World Books, Evogear and 3RLiving have received Carbonfund.org's CarbonFree™ Shipping designation as well.

The Ecobusinesslinks.com carbon survey is updated approximately monthly and can be viewed at www.ecobusinesslinks.com/offsets

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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