Carbonfund.org supports projects all across the world, and a project we are supporting is the Tengchong Conservation Carbon Project in the Yunnan Province of Southwestern China. This project is reforesting 1,093 acres at the south end of the Gaoligongshan Nature Reserve and will ultimately sequester nearly 170,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide from our atmosphere. The Tengchong Conservation Carbon Project has had a positive effect on its surrounding environment, such as inhibiting the growth of invasive weed species, helping improve the local water quality and reduce erosion. Additionally, the project area is providing habitat for about 400 bird species and more than 150 mammals, including leopards, Malayan sun bears, and China’s only remaining Bengal tiger population. The project is the first forest-based project to be validated to the Climate, Community and Biodiversity Standard with Gold Distinction. To learn more about Carbonfund.org’s projects, please visit www.carbonfund.org/projects.

Spirit Beauty Lounge is a CarbonFree® Small Business partner that is taking a lead role in helping to create a better planet. In addition to taking part in our CarbonFree® program, Spirit Beauty Lounge is also a member of 1% For The Planet, donating 1% of their total sales to a network of nearly 1,500 different environmental organizations and Spirit Beauty Lounge web site is powered and hosted by facilities using Green-E  certified RECs. Spirit Beauty Lounge has also been given the Seal of Approval by Co-Op America. This required that they meet a strict set of criteria proving that they operate according to principles of social justice and environmental sustainability, are socially and environmentally responsible in the way they source and market their products, and are committed to developing and employing extraordinary practices that benefit workers, customers, communities, and the environment. Small businesses are the heart of the American economy and it’s extremely encouraging to see a small business take such a strong stand in favor of sustainability and working for the social good.

This week, the Center for Energy & Environmental Security (CERES), and the Environmental Defense Fund released a new report entitled “Reclaiming Transparency in a Changing Climate: Trends in Climate Risk Disclosure in the S&P 500 since 1995” (PDF). This report takes an in-depth look at how leading companies are addressing the issue of climate change in the annual reports that they prepare for investors.

In spite of the fact that climate change is an issue that will impact the bottom line of almost every major industry, 76.3% of the 2008 annual reports by companies in the Standard & Poor's 500 (S&P 500) list did not mention climate change even one time in their reports. Only 5.5% of these reports identified a risk posed by climate change and fully articulated a strategy for addressing these risks.

While these numbers are disappointing as a whole, there is reason for encouragement in this report as the number of companies addressing climate change in their annual report is increasing. From 2007 to 2008, the number of companies that did address climate change increased from 13.3% to 23.7% and the number has increased every year since 1999. Much as we have seen an increase in the importance of Corporate Social Responsibility/CSR reporting in the past several years, we are starting to see more companies address the financial impact of climate change on their business. Here is to hoping that the number of companies reporting on this issue continues to grow in 2009.

Carbonfund.org, Planetwize, and Mojave are teaming up to bring you great music that will not only soothe your soul, but will also help out the planet. Planetwize is a music and media company that specializes in combining entertainment, sustainability, and technology. Through their Actiontrax music platform, Planetwize teams up with artists interested in releasing albums that support social or environmental projects. The Canadian band Mojave is releasing their latest album, Crow’s Funeral, through the Actiontrax platform and has chosen to support Carbonfund.org with a portion of the proceeds from the album’s sales.

“We work with bands and nonprofits that strive to have a true, positive impact on the world,” said Dan Porras, Founder and CEO of Planetwize. “We are very pleased to offer Mojave’s awesome new album to our users, and to make it easy for the band to support Carbonfund.org through our platform.” The commitment to the environment runs deep for the band. “I spent months trying to find the most environmentally friendly way to produce the CD,” Mojave’s Paul explained. As a result, Crow’s Funeral is packaged in FSC-certified paper, printed with soy ink, and sealed in biodegradable overwrap.

Carbonfund.org is thrilled to be partnering with both Planetwize and Mojave and are very appreciative of their support of our mission. You can preview tracks from Crow’s Funeral and download the album by clicking here. Starting next month, our friends to the North can catch up with Mojave on their fall tour by checking out their tour dates.

Carbonfund.org is excited to partner with Moosejaw for a great promotion that is running this week only. If you buy any North Face Recycled Fleece Jacket from Moosejaw this week, our good friends over there are going to make a donation that will result in the planting of  FIVE trees. However, you do have to make sure to use a special code when buying yourself that cozy new Recycled Fleece Jacket. Be sure to enter code 515 when making your purchase and Moosejaw will make a donation to Carbonfund.org. It's September and the cool air of autumn is going to be here before you know it, so go ahead and pick up a new (RECYCLED!) North Face Fleece from Moosejaw and help make sure more trees get planted!

Next weekend, on September 12^th and 13^th, the Red Rocks Amphitheatre will be hosting the Monolith Festival, presented by one of our partners, Esurance. Carbonfund.org is excited to be taking part in this festival by offsetting the event. In addition to being a CarbonFree® event, Monolith Festival is keeping things green with the Third Annual Reforestation Project. The Reforestation Project will be taking place on Wednesday, September 9^th at the Townview Plaza Community at 1699 Hooker Street in Denver to help plant trees in this developing urban community. Esurance is also working to retrofit and environmentally standardize homes in this area. Monolith Festival also happens to feature one of the best lineups a music lover could come across this year, featuring over 50 bands including the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Of Montreal, Phoenix, and Passion Pit. If you are heading out to Red Rocks to attend the Monolith Festival, you can offset your travel on the special page for Festival attendees. And you can buy tickets to the Monolith Festival by clicking here.

Last week, Hotel Carlton in San Francisco, CA announced that it had become the first hotel in San Francisco to achieve a special distinction from the US Green Building Council – the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Existing Building Operations and Maintenance (LEED-EB O&M) Gold certification.

For Hotel Carlton, LEED-EB O&M Gold reflects an ongoing commitment to environmentally sustainable principles and practices. The Hotel Carlton was the first hotel in San Francisco to be 100% powered by solar energy and also offsets its carbon footprint as a part of our CarbonFree^® business program. This level of commitment to eco-consciousness deserves our applause and we commend Hotel Carlton, and Joie de Vivre Hotels, for making a difference and implementing an amazing green program. You can learn more about Hotel Carlton’s commitment to the environment by reading their Environmental Policy Statement.

This week, a new report from Miller Zell and the National Research Institute was released that examines how consumers respond to eco-friendly products. The Green Scene report is a fascinating look at how consumers are responding to green product offerings and provides insight into who is buying green products and what is motivating them. The findings reflect a fact that our partners have discovered over the past several years – consumers are highly interested in sustainability and green products. In fact, 62% of the consumers surveyed claimed that the availability to green items impacted their unplanned, “impulse” purchases. Shoppers are, however, still experiencing some confusion when it comes to determining which products are green when they are in-store, due to a general lack of labeling and information. This is where Carbonfund.org’s CarbonFree® Certified Label can be beneficial. The label is a meaningful and environmentally beneficial way for manufacturers to let their customers know that their product is carbon neutral & can be found on products or labeling such as for the Motorola Renew cell phone and Florida Crystals sugar. It is great to see that consumer demand for green products has been continually on the rise, and we hope we can do our part in helping consumers to find the most eco-friendly options possible.

Global Basecamps, one of our CarbonFree® partners, helps travelers set up trips that both maximize their experience and minimize the environmental impact of their travels. They are also preparing to launch a great new initiative that will help their customers to continue to reduce their carbon footprint through recycling.

Recently, Global Basecamps joined the International Mountain Explorers Connection. IMEC works to ensure equitable treatment for porters and guides on trekking and climbing routes on three continents. Global Basecamps also works closely with the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Program to help ensure that proper gear, wages and sleeping conditions are met by tour companies working on the mountain. As a part of this program, Global Basecamps will be working with their clients to recycle their used trekking gear with the Porters Alliance. You can read more about Global Basecamp’s involvement with IMEC and the Porter’s Assitance Project by clicking here. We commend Global Basecamps for their commitment to sustainability and to reducing what they can!

Leap Realty, a CarbonFree® partner since 2008, is a green-minded full service real estate agency in Winston-Salem, NC that specializes in marketing the energy efficiency and sustainable features in properties. Leap seeks out eco-friendly products in the practice of everyday life and business including: utilizing more eco-friendly business supplies and promotional materials, website hosting by solar powered servers, reducing paper consumption by utilizing computer technology and supporting other environmentally responsible businesses and organizations. You can learn more about Leap Realty’s commitment to going green on their website. Leap Realty has joined the CarbonFree® Small Business Program to offset its carbon footprint by supporting renewable energy projects, stating that “being carbon neutral is another way for us to be environmentally responsible.”