The Carbonfund.org Foundation is proud to announce its first For Planet and People annual awards, adding to Carbonfund.org’s long history of facilitating our partners’ goals to mitigate their carbon footprint.

Since 2003, Carbonfund.org has worked with over 2,000 businesses and 750,000 individuals on climate solutions. Partners support renewable energy, energy efficiency or forestry projects to mitigate their climate impact. our partners support renewable energy projects that push a clean energy market transformation, help our global economy through job creation, and support the agricultural industry in innovative and meaningful ways. Other partners support forest projects that protect biodiversity, conserve important land for recreation, and ensure both clean air and clean water for local communities. And partners support energy efficiency projects that replace outdated technology, reduce greenhouse gas emissions quickly, and help us learn to do more with less energy. The support our partners give these projects comprises a critical environmental solution that benefits both planet and people. For the year 2011, the Board of Directors and staff of the Carbonfund.org Foundation have formally recognized a few of our partners, to thank them for taking a leadership role in combating climate change.

"Carbonfund.org is thrilled to honor our partners for their leadership helping to solve climate change by developing innovative programs that are having real and positive effects for our planet," said Eric Carlson, president of Carbonfund.org. "Our new For Planet and People Awards highlight the extraordinary efforts of our partners, their employees, customers and stakeholders to be part of the solution to climate change."

Each of our award recipients has embraced a different element of carbon reductions in their operations and sustainability goals. Here are the Carbonfund.org’s For Planet and People award winners and categories:

Dell, Inc. - Lifetime Achievement

Motorola Mobility – CarbonFree® Products

JetBlue Airways - Travel

Overstock.com – Retail

National Geographic Society – Media

The Unitarian Universalists, Office of the General Assembly – Religious Organization

Mac-Gray Campus Solutions – Education

Ernst & Young, LLP – Events

Carbonfund.org congratulates all of the awardees and thanks them for their commitment to sustainable practices and to the support of important external carbon reductions that are a critical part of our climate change solutions.

Please see press release here: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/carbonfundorg-foundation-debuts-for-planet-and-people-awards-138774219.html

With HRDQ, developing great people skills is easy. And you can rest assured that you’re working with an organization that’s sensitive to the environment at the same time.

For more than 30 years, HRDQ has been a trusted developer of experiential learning resources that help to improve the performance of individuals, teams, and organizations. They offer a wide range of reliable, research-based training materials, including assessments, games, customizable programs, and e-learning workshops on in-demand topics such as leadership, communication, coaching, and team building.

At the core of every HRDQ solution is their Experiential Learning Model, the formula thousands of corporate trainers, human resource professionals, educational institutions, and OD consultants have relied upon to improve the skills of frontline employees, high-ranking executives, and just about everyone in between. Combining the best of organizational learning theory, proven facilitation methods and adult learning styles, it’s a model that inspires lasting change.

Together with their commitment to lifelong learning, HRDQ is also dedicated to seeking eco-friendly ways of operating their business and serving their clients, from introducing new product mediums to packaging and conserving natural resources. Besides the carbon offsets they’ve purchased through the CarbonFree® Partnership program, here are a few of the ways HRDQ strives to minimize their impact on the Earth:

• Electing to use recycled paper for necessary printed materials
• Choosing FSC and Rainforest Alliance Certified papers for product catalogs
• Creating digital and e-learning solutions to reduce waste
• Replacing direct mail with email and web promotions
• Removing petroleum-based materials from product materials
• Swapping inefficient lighting with compact fluorescent bulbs

“We are proud to partner with Carbonfund.org to offset our carbon imprint, transition to an energy-clean future, and minimize our impact on the Earth. HRDQ’s commitment to lifelong learning works hand-in-hand with our strategic initiative to achieve sustainable practices and an environmentally-friendly business approach.” Bradford Glaser, President & CEO, HRDQ

To learn more about the training modules and programs offered by HRDQ, click here.

Need a healthier night’s sleep?  Then have a look at Essentia Mattresses. They make the only natural memory foam in the world!  Essentia memory foam is free of petroleum, formaldehyde, toxic chemicals and contains no volatile organic compounds. The secret?  Essentia memory foam is actually made from rubber tree sap but reacts the same way traditional memory foam would.  Made with natural latex, organic essential oils, plant extracts and water Essentia natural memory foam has all the comfort of memory foam but without all the toxins that could make you sick.

Essentia takes pride in using only the highest quality natural ingredients in its products, so you get health and comfort without compromise. Essentia products also feature a Zebrano striped cover which is both stylish and functional, made with 100% GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certified unbleached organic cotton. Essentia’s product line includes mattresses, support pillows, crib mattresses and even something special for the four-legged members of your family.

Essentia is one of only 2 companies that produce its own foam. Instead of importing latex like most companies do, Essentia imports the natural rubber tree sap to make their natural memory foam. This uses close to 80% less space than importing the finished latex foam. They also cut down significantly on fuel consumption in transportation by importing the sap, and also by the way they ship their mattresses. Essentia actually compresses and rolls the mattresses, so they use 75% less packaging and take up less space in a truck.  All product boxes are made from 80% post consumer recycled paper.

Essentia also has recently expanded their environmental commitment by joining the CarbonFree® Partnership program, offsetting a portion of their operational emissions by supporting the projects and mission of Carbonfund.org.

Jack Dell’Accio, the founder of Essentia, explains: “It’s important for us to set the example for everyone that we need to take every step possible to leave this earth a greener place. We need to make this mark, especially in the mattress industry which traditionally isn’t overly concerned about consumer health or the impact on the earth. This is why Essentia is more than a brand; we have a commitment to comfort and quality, without compromise. A partnership with Carbonfund.org was a natural step for us to help everyone move towards the future, when the world is green again.”

You can experience Essentia for yourself at an Essentia retail location, online or by giving them a quick call to learn more. Also, Essentia mattresses come with a 60-day money back guarantee, a 20-year warranty and free shipping to the Continental US and Canada.

If you thought that was cool, it gets better: Essentia is offering a 10% Eco-Driver discount on your Essentia purchase. And while you’re there, don’t forget to sign up for their monthly contest for a chance to win a Comfort Pillow!

Care2 is a community that empowers individuals to make a difference. Care2 has over 18 million members, making it the web’s largest community of people seeking to make a difference in issues like green living, human rights and animal welfare.  The letter from the President Randy Paynter on the Care2 site says it all, “The idea is simple: Make it easy for everyone to live a healthy, green lifestyle and impact the causes they care about most.”

The Care2 site offers a plethora of engagement options, and here are just a few of them:

• healthy living – from food, to health, to pets to family this section of Care2 gives members categorized advice on ways that members can improve the overall well being of their lives in a variety of ways.
• community – want to join up with like-mined people? This is the place to meet people who are also looking for you, such as: travel, singles, parenting, hobbies, and many more.
• start a petition – this great feature allows individuals, non-profits, and other groups to make their voices heard in a simple but effective way to start petitions, spread the word, and get voices heard. In fact, ever notice the petition widget on the Carbonfund.org site? This is one way that Care2 and Carbonfund.org partner together to get a pro-environment message out to readers like you!
• eCards – for any occasion, Care2 offers eCards that range from spiritual to sentimental to romantic to funny. These cards are great for a special occasion or “just because.”
• free click to donate – this is one of the easiest ways you can support Carbonfund.org! With Care2s click to donate, a member can simply go onto the site and click on the Carbonfund.org cause under global warming to click our cause and get Care2 donations. This is a great way to support us and other causes without impacting your bank account.
• news network – the Care2 news network gives news from the US and around the world on many newsworthy areas including government, politics, culture, and more. This is a great one-stop shop to get the news that you care about.
• daily deals – looking to save on coffee, cosmetics, clothes and other socially/environmentally conscious stuff? Care2 provides a deal every day for subscribers that can save big money and support great businesses. 
• green jobs – if you want a green job in policy, renewable energy, your favorite non-profit or more, this tool offers a great list of green jobs that can get you to work in the green economy. A great resource for folks looking for any kind of green collar job!

These engagement options that Care2 offers are just a few of many that members can explore. Carbonfund.org is certainly proud to partner with such a forward thinking organization. The membership is free and easy to sign up for so check it out today. To learn more please visit: http://www.care2.com or http://www.thepetitionsite.com.

True Liberty® Bags provides all-purpose home and garden bags and accessories to any type of gardener or homemaker. With the smell-proof and freezer-to-heat safe bag material, which upholds to water, grease, oil, and fat, these bags are extremely versatile.True Liberty® Bags are produced from FDA-approved food-grade, absolutely BPA-free material, and are all made in the USA.  In the kitchen, Liberty Bags are perfect for use with baked goods, bulk foods, herbs, meats and produce. You can bake, boil, freeze, microwave, line your rice/slow cooker, or contain spoiled food odors. In the garden, Liberty Bags are great for seed germination, plant pollination, fertilizer or pesticide storage, plant protection from pests or extreme weather, and storage of harvested crops.

True Liberty® values serving a grassroots community of advocates and businesses who share a ‘think global and act local’ mindset. From the purchasing of supplies, to the shipping of products, True Liberty® is constantly making eco-friendly decisions. True Liberty’s office, warehouse, shipping, and website are carbon-neutral through an emissions offsetting program with Carbonfund.org. Being carbon-neutral is another way to demonstrate a commitment to reducing environmental impact, and enables customers to share in that commitment. True Liberty® also uses UPS Carbon Neutral shipping for all product shipments, and uses digital files rather than paper whenever possible for administrative functions. This choice saves on time, space, energy, and other natural resources, especially trees! All brochures and media documents are made from recycled paper content as much as possible, and products are packaged in Forest Stewardship Council-approved paper-board boxes that are printed using soy-based ink.

Discover what commercial organic farmers, food storage experts, and hobby veggie growers are using to keep their foods fresh, healthy, and delicious, with all the aroma and flavor locked right in!  Shop online today for your supply of eco-conscious and versatile True Liberty® Bags.

In the Spring of 2007, WVO Management was established as Houston’s first green waste vegetable oil recycler, providing safe, clean and timely removal of waste vegetable oil and creating new local green-collar jobs. Their mission is to contribute 100% of the usable oils to local recycling efforts that provide the greatest environmental re-use. WVO purchases waste vegetable oil from Greater Houston and Greater Lufkin restaurants and commercial kitchens/bakeries. Their recycling program meets all local, state and federal laws and guidelines.  Their customers receive carefree and professional waste vegetable oil removal services, and gain the benefit of participating in an environmentally friendly recycling program.

From the start, WVO was built as a company that is conscientious about their impact on the environment. From the recycled paper on which their business cards are printed to the green energy used to power their workshop and offices, WVO is making business choices that make sense for their bottom line and for the future of our planet, by leveraging sustainability for profitability.  Part of WVO’s environmental commitment includes supporting the mission and projects of Carbonfund.org through their CarbonFree^® Partnership.  And the folks at WVO proudly proclaim that yes, they are tree-hugging capitalists.

WVO also encourages their employees to be active participants in the community and affords them the balance between family and work to succeed. And the WVO Management Charitable Endowment Fund hosts three programs designed for Cause Related Marketing Initiatives of WVO Management LLC and their Houston donor businesses.

To learn more about WVO, their services and community support, click here.

The 2012 International CES, the world’s largest tradeshow for consumer technology, ran this year from January 10^th through
January 13 in Las Vegas, Nevada. This year the show welcomed more than 3,100 companies on a show floor that exceeded 1.85 million net square feet of exhibit space. Among those exhibitors three companies featured Carbonfund.org’s CarbonFree Certified label, signifying that their products are offered to consumers as carbon neutral. This means that the products underwent a rigorous lifecycle analysis determining the product carbon footprint from cradle to grave and further offset the impact of that footprint by supporting one of Carbonfund.org’s third-party validated carbon reduction projects. CarbonFree Certification is a transparent, meaningful label that distinguishes products that have undergone this rigorous third-party certification process.

LG Electronics – LG is the first in industry to distribute home appliances, solar panels and various consumer electronics with the CarbonFree® sustainability label, many of which were debuted at CES this year. This marks the first time that CarbonFree-certified LCD TV, LCD monitor, refrigerator, clothes washer, vacuum cleaner, air conditioner, LED lamp or solar panel products will be available to the public. These products also have agressive internal carbon reduction plans to ensure that every year LG manufactures them, they are decreasing their footprint more and more. In addition to the LG CarbonFree certification, the products will be ENERGY STAR® qualified. Other products certified by LG include two mobile phones, also available to the public in 2012.  Learn more at www.lge.com

ECO Alkaline from LEI Electronics – Looking for an eco-friendly, better priced battery that performs as well as the same old brands?  Here they are. Last year these batteries received an “Innovations In Engineering” award at the Consumer Electronics Show.  This year they were at CES again as the only and first carbon neutral battery currently on the market. In addition to carbon neutrality these batteries are also more consumer friendly than their competitors for a couple of reasons including Zero Lead/Cadmium/ or Mercury (they are actually landfill safe), have a 5 year shelf life, have a patent pending leak -resistant seal on the battery, and are offered at retail prices that are competitive to the other major battery brands. Today, environmentally friendly Eco Alkalines batteries are available in US and Canadian supermarkets, department stores, toy and hobby retailers, colleges and university stores, and hotel chains.  http://www.leiproducts.com/eco-alkalines

GoEcoLife by INTEK America – Again at CES this year, the GoEcoLife, which is the world’s first CarbonFree® Certified carbon neutral paper shredder, showed its product to show attendees.  Under the GoECOlife™ brand, INTEK has been dedicated to producing environmentally-preferable, smart every day devices and products that ultimately contribute to their overall commitment to sustainability. They manufacture certified biodegradable/compostable products and utilize recycled and RoHS-compliant (lead-FREE) materials both in products and packaging whenever possible, as well as proprietary energy -conserving technologies. Also, the personal GoECOlife™ shredder utilizes an energy-saving technology that prevents vampire energy waste when the shredder is not in use and plugged in. Recently, the GoECOlife™ Platinum Series™ Paper Shredder (GXC120Ti) was one of four shredders “RECOMMENDED” by Consumer Reports in their recent paper shredder review.  This is a smart choice for the earth and for consumers. To learn more about the GoECOlife™ please click www.goecolife.com.

To learn more about these products and the CarbonFree Certified label from Carbonfund.org, please visit www.carbonfund.org.

The big environmental news this week was the demise of the Keystone XL Pipeline Project.  For those in need of a refresh, this is an extension of an already existing pipeline that would facilitate the transportation of synthetic crude oil from the Alberta, Canada tar sands to multiple locations in the United States.  Needless to say, environmentalists have not been big fans of this venture.

On November 10 of last year, after months of protests, President Obama announced a delay of the decision until 2013.  So we got a reprieve, if not a victory, for the environment.  Shortly thereafter Republicans introduced legislation that would require a decision be made on the project within two months, deadline February 21^st 2012.

On December 18^th the White House released its decision.  From the official statement:

As the State Department made clear last month, the rushed and arbitrary deadline insisted on by Congressional Republicans prevented a full assessment of the pipelines impact, especially the health and safety of the American people, as well as our environment. As a result, the Secretary of State has recommended that the application be denied. And after reviewing the State Departments report, I agree.

This announcement is not a judgment on the merits of the pipeline, but the arbitrary nature of a deadline that prevented the State Department from gathering the information necessary to approve the project and protect the American people.

So does this mark the end of the project and its environmental threat?  Not really. The statement focuses on Republican strong-arming instead of environmental concerns and TransCanada has already said they intend to reapply for a permit.

For more information on the pipeline fight, visit http://www.tarsandsaction.org/spread-the-word/key-facts-keystone-xl/

For insight into different green opinions on this development, visit http://grist.org/politics/is-the-anti-keystone-campaign-good-or-bad-for-the-environmental-movement/

Giant Plankton is an independent game company based in Seattle whose mission is to create fun and innovative multi-player games that bring people together. Their first product is a two-player iPad game called Skwint that recently launched on the App Store.

Skwint is a clever update to the traditional matching game that rewards a good strategy as much as a good memory. It’s simple enough to play with your five year old daughter yet challenging enough to play with your neighbor who reads statistics magazines for fun. It all depends on the Settings you choose and the skills you bring to the game.

Besides having great game-play, Skwint was also conceived as a vehicle for a variety of beautifully designed audio-visual experiences or “themes”. The first version of Skwint comes with a theme called Pulse which has a clean, minimal feel. More great themes are coming soon.

While the primary mission of Giant Plankton is to create great social games, they are doing it in an environmentally responsible way. Giant Plankton is happy to be a CarbonFree^® Partner and purchase carbon credits to offset all of the emissions from their business activities. It is a sincere goal at Giant Plankton to always be a carbon-neutral company.

But being carbon neutral doesn’t reverse the damage that has already been done to the planet, so a percentage of Giant Plankton’s profits will be donated to organizations that work to improve the health of the oceans. After all, healthy seas are critical to plankton survival.

The team at Giant Plankton has temporarily priced Skwint at $.99 in support of Occupy Wall Street!  So check it out and spread the word to your friends. The world will be a more entertaining… and sustainable place.