To earn the CarbonFree® Product Certification, the GoECOlife™ SOHO 8-Sheet ULTRA-QUIET™ Paper Shredder underwent a rigorous product life-cycle assessment performed by WSP Group to determine the carbon footprint. In addition to using energy-saving technology, GoECOlife™ reduced the remaining carbon footprint through support of Carbonfund.org’s third-party validated renewable energy, energy efficiency and reforestation projects.

“We put our shredder through Carbonfund.org’s CarbonFree® Product Certification because of its rigor and third party life-cycle assessment,” said Sam Lee, spokesperson for GoECOlife™. “The Certification provides a credible way for consumers to differentiate products that minimize their impact on climate change and the environment.”

The personal GoECOlife™ shredder utilizes an energy-saving technology that prevents vampire energy waste when the shredder is not in use and plugged in. The shredder is manufactured with materials that meet Restriction of Hazardous Substances standards (RoHS-compliant) and is packaged with recycled, partially recycled and/or biodegradable materials.

The shredder is available at this link on Costco.com (online only); also, Costco.com is running a promotion through February on the paper shredder! The promo includes a $20 instant rebate, a 12-pack of CarbonFree® Certified GoECOlife™ Lubricant Sheets, an “Envy Green” Reusable Canvas Tote and a “Green Facts” Mouse Pad.

You can also learn more about Carbonfund.org’s CarbonFree® Certified Label and Product Certification by visiting www.carbonfund.org/products.

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Federal agencies are beginning to invest in clean energy technologies, such as tapping landfills for renewable energy, putting energy management systems in government buildings, and replacing older vehicles with more fuel efficient hybrid models. “As the largest energy consumer in the United States, we have a responsibility to American citizens to reduce our energy use and become more efficient,” President Obama said in a statement encouraging job creation and pollution reduction technologies.

For a full list of agencies and their plans to reduce pollution and increase efficiency visit: www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/20100128-ceq-agency-stories.pdf

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For example, Panasonic provided an array of green products and initiatives. Through a joint venture with Sharp and Toshiba, Panasonic has created a recycling program with 100’s of free drop off locations in all 50 states.  This program was the first winner of the US EPA’s National TV Recycling Challenge for responsible recycling end-of-life TVs.  Their booth also showcased Panasonic’s innovative residential fuel cell technology which takes hydrogen from city gas and oxygen from the air to generate heat and electricity.  Coupled with their residential storage batteries, which help to store the energy created by the fuel cells or solar power generators, this technology has the potential to revolutionize the way we power our homes.

At the impressive Samsung booth they unveiled their eco-design and energy efficient products including LED TVs, 30” free-standing induction ranges, Energy Star Blue-ray players and more.  Samsung also partnered with us to address the environmental impact of participating in the show by offsetting their presence at the show, including the booth, which was the largest at CES, transportation, and lodging.

The 2010 show proved that sustainability and energy efficiency is not a fad, but rather a way forward.  The consumer electronics industry has realized that making efficient, environmentally friendly products will make their customers happy, strengthen their corporate social responsibility and increase their bottom line.

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According to an article in the Washington Post, the Leaf has an all-electric engine that can take you 100 miles on one charge, and the Volt has a gas-electric engine that will take you 40 miles on a charge and then run off its gas engine. Even though many people drive significantly less than 100 miles per day (particularly in urban settings), the fear of having an empty battery with no where close to charge it can strike concern for some.

To preemptively combat this fear, a coalition of forces is calling on the government to spend billions of dollars to help build the infrastructure to give drivers the ability to fuel their batteries on-the-go. Though most people will be able to get all the charge they need at home when the car is parked, an on-the-go infrastructure would certainly help.

What do you think? Would you buy an electric vehicle even without a vast fueling station infrastructure?

Image of the Nissan Leaf; also read this blog posting about the Volt when it was announced.

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Rather than your usual Ford Crown Victoria, their entire fleet is made up of Toyota Priuses getting an estimated 50 miles per gallon.  They also prove that going green doesn’t have to be expensive.  They have prices that are cheaper than the top three cab companies in Phoenix.

“We believe that going green isn’t something you do – it is something you are,” said Steve Lopez, Founder of Clean Air Cab.

In addition to taking care of the environment, Clean Air Cab has programs that protect their local community.  Arizona State University students can call Clean Air Cab’s Free Ride Back program to get a cab to take them home if they have been drinking and can’t drive themselves. In the morning, they call back and a cab will pick them up and take them back to their car for free.

People in the Phoenix, AZ metro area can book a Clean Air Cab taxi online at www.CleanAirCab.com or by calling 480-777-9777.

Check out Carbonfund.org’s CarbonFree® logo on the back of each Clean Air Cab!

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The Truck Stop Electrification Project helps drivers, their trucks and our planet rest a bit easier. Supported by Carbonfund.org, the project reduces tailpipe emissions from freight trucks that transport our consumer goods all across the country. Advanced truck stop electrification technology allows drivers to shut off their engines when they stop for the night. This system consists of an in-cab service module connected via a flexible hose to an efficient external unit that heats, cools, and powers the interior of the truck, and lets the driver run the radio and check email without forcing the engine to burn diesel while saving about a gallon of diesel per hour. There are over one hundred locations throughout the United States.

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Virgin America is the Official Domestic Airline of the Governors’ Second Annual Climate Summit in Los Angeles from Sept. 30-Oct. 2.  Also, Virgin America released its first annual Climate Report today describing their unique sustainability efforts and emissions data for 2008.  When Virgin America launched in 2007 they took great care to incorporate sustainability into every aspect of their business.  They not only use more efficient aircraft, regulating cruising speed to reduce fuel burn, and encourage customers to offset the impact of their flight through Carbonfund.org, they even use organic hand soap in the airplane bathrooms!

Earlier this year, Virgin America became the first U.S. airline to join The Climate Registry and commit to reporting emissions according to The Climate Registry’s standards.  We are proud that our partner is an innovator and a leader in sustainability efforts for the airline industry.

Flying somewhere? Check out this page where you can offset your trip! If you’re reading this in-flight, remember you can offset your trip during flight on Virgin America’s RED™ in-flight entertainment system.

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“Colleges and universities are uniquely positioned to demonstrate that acting wisely to address the challenge of climate change is both the right thing to do as well as the smart thing to do. Higher education has a fundamental responsibility to move beyond business as usual, and set an example for our students and for society. Inaction in the face of the indisputable knowledge we have about a future dominated by the consequences of climate change would be inconsistent with our values and our mission.” said David Hales, president of the College.

COA, which became carbon neutral in Dec. 2007 following a pledge to be the first, is a member of the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) program. The College recently filed its Climate Action Plan with the program, detailing further steps to reduce carbon emissions. Already, the College has taken steps to reduce its carbon footprint, including:

- a comprehensive energy audit and energy efficiency improvements to campus buildings.

- using renewable electricity

- opening six energy-efficient student residences in August 2008

- using heavy insulation for campus buildings (the College is in Maine after all!)

- heating buildings with renewable wood pellets and using water-saving toilets

The college is also looking into heating buildings with biomass fuel.

Carbonfund.org is excited to work with College of the Atlantic in continuing to achieve its carbon neutrality goals!

Learn more about the truck stop electrification project here. Carbonfund.org is also a proud member of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE).

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Increased temperatures and unpredictable rainfall can compromise our food supply.

What is the biggest global health threat of the 21^st century? Is it swine Flu? AIDS? Obesity?   According to a group of 18 leading doctors from around the world in a recent letter to the British Medical Journal & Lancet it is climate change.

Here are some of the ways that climate change affects human health:

1)      Food Supply: Increased temperatures and unpredictable rainfall can reduce crop yields, affect livestock and compromise our food supply.

2)      Extreme Weather Events:  Climate change may cause more heat waves, cold waves, storms, floods and droughts.  This can increase the risk of food and water shortages and water- and food-borne diseases.  Heat waves can claim the lives of the weak, and elderly as in Europe’s 2003 summer heat wave which claimed the lives of over 30,000 people.

3)      Disease: Many diseases carried by insects such as malaria, and dengue fever thrive in warmer climate conditions and climate changes can prolong and intensify the transmission of these diseases.

4)      Air Quality: Warmer temperatures mean a higher frequency of smog which exacerbates respiratory conditions such as asthma and other chronic lung diseases.

In recent years the polar bear has become the prominent face of climate change, but we need to refocus on the human faces affected by the changes in our environment. We must emphasize the children, families and communities whose health will be affected by these changes and concentrate less on the polar bears.

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Most participants see the value of cap-and-trade as a policy and economic solution. A good analogy of cap-and-trade was expressed by Phil Sharp, president of the policy organization Resources for the Future. “Cap-and-trade is like a budget on how much carbon is allowed to be emitted into the atmosphere.” Bills such as the American Clean Energy and Security Act, which passed the House, use the mechanism to cost-effectively reduce emissions over time.

Timing-wise, while healthcare is currently debated in Congress, some see a climate bill debated in the Senate this year. Maggie Fox, president and CEO of the Alliance for Climate Protection, said the momentum to move legislation exists this year, and that’s necessary for political will. World Resources Institute (WRI) President Jonathan Lash said, “Congress will decide that doing nothing is worse than doing something.” A lot of the momentum will come from the Administration, which over the summer has engaged key Midwestern states on the issue of global warming and why proposed legislation would benefit farmers and other stakeholders.

The chairman of the Clinton Climate Initiative of the former president’s foundation, Ira Magaziner, said that what motivated the foundation to get involved on climate change pilot projects is the sheer avoidance of the problem by many. The US and other countries have to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, or “our children and grandchildren will pay very serious consequences.” The Initiative has worked with cities such as Los Angeles on ways to reduce energy consumption, such as by street lighting. 80 percent of the electricity used for street lighting in many cities is wasted as heat; whereas new approaches such as using light-emitting diodes (LED’s) can result in up to 60 percent energy savings.

Some of the major needs cited in addressing climate change are more access to capital and financing for research & development (R&D), and more focus on energy efficiency by companies as well as individuals to reduce energy consumption. Google’s director of climate change and energy initiatives, Dan Reicher, said it will take a commitment by the US to invest in clean energy and other technologies to address climate change. A wind farm, for example, can take $500 million to build. By comparison, it took about $25 million in venture capital to start Google. If the US doesn’t invest in R&D to address climate change, technologies will be developed in other countries rather than here.

Siemens Industry sees a lot of opportunities for energy savings from buildings. Daryl Dulaney, the appointed president & CEO of the company, estimates that 38 percent of all carbon emissions come from buildings. Institutions, commercial building owners and lessees will need to do what they can to reduce this substantial carbon footprint.

The country’s commitment to addressing climate change doesn’t have to cost a lot. In fact, notes WRI’s Jonathan Lash, from the carbon trade part of cap-and-trade, states as well as the federal government can realize savings and revenues; about $12 billion a year could be realized by states from carbon credits allocated for renewable energy and energy efficiency. As we know at Carbonfund.org, carbon offsets are supporting innovative projects in renewables, energy efficiency and reforestation that are making emissions reductions today and help the transition to a clean energy future. Offsets are part of current bills such as Waxman-Markey to help achieve emissions reductions.

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