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Carbonfund.org Launches Million Tree Challenge to Fight Global Warming

Staples, Amtrak, Motorola, Hyundai and Mac-Gray Make Early Commitments to Campaign

Carbonfund.org Launches Million Tree Challenge to Fight Global Warming

Staples, Amtrak, Motorola, Hyundai and Mac-Gray Make Early Commitments to Campaign

Published 03-22-10

Submitted by Carbonfund.org

With deforestation today accounting for about 20 percent of global warming, Carbonfund.org is challenging individuals and businesses to help plant a million trees while raising awareness about the importance of tree planting and reforestation in solving climate change. For $1 per tree, the campaign provides an opportunity for action on global warming leading up to Earth Day on April 22nd.

Individuals and businesses can make a tax-deductible donation toward tree planting at: www.carbonfund.org/trees. The campaign lets donors choose how many trees they wish to have planted. An individual can, for instance, make a donation to plant a tree for each family member, or each mile in a daily commute. A business can plant a tree for each employee, or each sale made.

Carbonfund.org's Million Tree Challenge Launch Partners include: Staples (NASDAQ:SPLS), Amtrak, Motorola, Hyundai, and Mac-Gray, each making an early commitment to the campaign. For example, Staples will be collecting $1 donations from customers at its U.S. stores from April 18-24, 2010, and will match customer donations raised during this time, up to $20,000. Companies that have also made commitments include: Evogear, WeddingWire.com, Planetshoes.com, WVO Management, and the Maryland GreenHawks basketball team.

"The Carbonfund.org Million Tree Challenge enables all individuals and businesses to take action on climate change now and for Earth Day. Tree planting works in tandem with reducing carbon emissions to fight climate change and provides numerous environmental benefits," said Eric Carlson, President, Carbonfund.org. "We encourage businesses as well as individuals to join the campaign, make a commitment and promote your actions to customers, employees and others."

Trees are essential to our environment and reducing global warming. Planting trees:


  • Absorbs carbon dioxide to reduce climate change

  • Cleans our air

  • Protects and expands biodiversity

  • Reduces flooding by minimizing runoff

  • Provides habitat and nutrition for wildlife

  • Creates jobs managing tree nurseries, and planting and care

"Supporting Carbonfund.org with the Million Tree Challenge helps positively impact our climate, and serves as a concrete way to help educate others about sustainability," said Mark Buckley, Vice President, Environmental Affairs, Staples. "Staples has been contributing to the climate change cause through energy conservation, green building design, and renewable energy purchases. In addition, by using recycled paper as the standard in our Copy & Print Centers, offering a wide selection of green paper choices in our stores and on Staples.com, and providing technology recycling services, Staples makes it easy for our customers to make a difference for the environment, what we call EcoEasy."

Amtrak will be promoting the campaign on their Whistle Stop online community for passengers, and to their Amtrak Guest Rewards program members.

"Passenger rail is a travel mode that produces some of the lowest greenhouse gas emissions per passenger mile. Amtrak is taking steps using new technologies, fuels and procedures to further reduce emissions. We support tree planting as a great personal step to incrementally reduce greenhouse gas emissions," said Roy Deitchman, Vice President, Environmental Health & Safety for Amtrak.

To learn more about the Carbonfund.org Million Tree Challenge or to donate, please visit www.carbonfund.org/trees.

About Carbonfund.org
Carbonfund.org is the leading nonprofit carbon reduction and climate solutions organization, making it easy and affordable for individuals, businesses and organizations to reduce their climate impact by supporting third-party validated renewable energy, energy efficiency and reforestation projects. Carbonfund.org has over 450,000 individual supporters and works with over 1,400 business and nonprofit partners including Discovery, Motorola, Amtrak, Volkswagen, Dell, JetBlue, and Staples. Please visit www.carbonfund.org.

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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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