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ONNO Textiles Moves Beyond Conventional Cotton

Jack Kanefield has been in the shirt business for a long time. For years he worked with factories doing contract manufacturing for big names like Reebok, Nike, Speedo—all using conventional cotton. At the time, he didn’t give the material type much thought.

Times have changed.

After he started reading about the harm that conventional cotton does, Kanefield ceased operations with his conventional cotton clothing company. He sold off pieces of it to fund a new business, ONNO Textiles, dedicated to offering organic and alternative fabric shirts.
At ONNO, conventional cotton isn’t even an option. Three exceptional materials—organic cotton, bamboo, and hemp—have replaced it. These materials have eco-friendly advantages: they use less water and require no pesticides.

ONNO shows its commitment to social responsibility in other ways, too. Carbon offsets have long been part of ONNO’s strategy. “We always knew we’d do carbon offsets,” said Kanefield. “We called around and spoke with various companies, but we were much more comfortable with a not-for-profit like Carbonfund.org. Otherwise, how would we know how much of our money actually goes into the offsets?”

Conventional cotton is grown with pesticides and insecticides, which end up in soil and water where they can find their way into the food chain, accumulating in the cells of living organisms, including people. Organic cotton, on the other hand, is grown on fields that have been chemical-free for at least three years. Farmers use composted manures and cover-crops to replace synthetic fertilizers. Innovative weeding strategies are used instead of herbicides. Beneficial insects and trap-crops are used to control pests. Nature’s frost and water inducement prepare plants for harvest, instead of using toxic defoliants.

Markmakers Opens the World of Charitable Giving to Children

Typically, philanthropy is an adult activity. After all, adults have the money. Adults have the time to research and choose where to donate that money from among the bewildering number of worthy charities, causes, and organizations.

Markmakers is the result of one family’s desire to open the world of charitable giving to children. Its innovative website introduces children to the concept of charitable giving and social activism by giving them a safe environment in which to make their first charitable donations, including the option of offsetting carbon with Carbonfund.org.

Here’s how it works: an adult—a parent or grandparent, perhaps, or a friend of the family or other benefactor—purchases a Markmakers card and, after taking the opportunity to write a personal thought on giving, sends it to the young recipient. The recipient then logs onto Markmaker.org and explores a number of different charitable possibilities in six categories, including Poverty, Disease, Animal Welfare, Kids in Need, the Environment, and Peace & Justice.

“Parents often donate in the name of their children, but that’s hardly the same thing as letting a child choose from different causes, make a decision to commit their money,” said Markmakers President Eric Garfinkel.

The Markmakers website allows children to make an informed decision and control the giving process. There are no links from Markmakers to any other website so a child can explore the site and read about the different causes and needs without traveling to a place where she might end up on a mailing list. All giving through Markmakers is anonymous, and the names of the children and card purchasers are not passed to any organization.

The Girls in the Vineyard: School Fundraiser Grows Into Something Much Bigger

Sometimes a good idea grows beyond any expectations. That’s what happened to The Girls in the Vineyard. The Napa Valley winery started out as a school fundraiser but has turned into a successful business with a unique twist on charitable donations—one that offers wine lovers a generous way to support Carbonfund.org.

The Girls in the Vineyard is the product of Rob and Kat McDonald and Matt Stone. (The McDonalds are Australian, and in Australia it’s common for winemakers to refer to their vines as girls: hence the name.)

Carbon News Roundup

The Group of Eight countries ended its latest summit this week by agreeing to try to halve greenhouse gasses by 2050, reports the Washington Post. This marked the first time that the United States has joined other industrialized countries in pledging to reduce carbon by a fixed amount by a certain time. Environmentalists criticized the agreement’s targets as weak and vague, noting that fundamental differences between the countries were not addressed.

The volume of carbon traded globally in the first half of 2008 nearly matched the total volume traded 2007, according to Reuters. 1.8 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide were traded in the first six months of the year, with the EU’s Emissions Trading Scheme accounting for 70% of transactions by volume. Point Carbon, a carbon market analysis firm, said the global carbon market was worth 38 billion euros ($59.5 billion) in the first half of 2008, compared to 40 billion euros for all of 2007.

An Interview with Coral Expert James Engman

There isn’t much coral around Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, but as an expert on the tiny marine organisms, Professor James Engman studies them firsthand to learn how they are being affected by rising ocean temperatures brought about by climate change. Each year he flies to Panama with his advanced biology students—but that creates a dilemma for Professor Engman: the act of flying contributes to the climate change that is wreaking havoc on the coral populations he is traveling to study.

How does Professor Engman travel to study coral but also contribute to a clean energy transformation? Carbon offsets through Carbonfund.org.

Cruise in CarbonFree Elegance with Hornblower Cruises & Events

There are few urban pleasures more exquisite than a pleasant cruise on a yacht around the harbor, with a glowing skyline in the background and pleasant sea breezes in the air.

Hornblower Cruises & Events is one of the best known yacht charter companies on the West Coast. It offers cruises in numerous cities, and its Alcatraz Cruises subsidiary runs ferries to the famous island prison. Hornblower’s Greater LA/Orange County branch recently came onboard Carbonfund.org’s CarbonFree Partnerships Program.

Capital Camps Instills Values—Jewish and Environmental—In Its Campers

It’s summertime, and for many families that means it’s time for camp. This summer, one camping organization based in the Washington, DC area is standing out from the rest.

Capital Camps was founded to promote Jewish education and identity. Since Judaism places a high value on environmental responsibility, Capital Camps sees its new partnership with Carbonfund.org as a natural extension of its core missions.

EcoBranders Leads Transformation in Promotional Products Industry

Promotional products are a staple of the way businesses promote themselves—at conferences, trade shows and other events. It’s an 18 billion dollar industry and a powerful way to get the word out by leaving something tangible in customers’ hands.

But when so many products are being given away, questions are raised: how sustainable is this practice? How can it be done in the most environmentally-responsible way? EcoBranders leads the promotional products industry in answering those questions.

Carbon News Roundup

Businesses representing 10% of the market capitalization of all publically-traded companies globally called for the Group of Eight nations to demonstrate climate change leadership by agreeing on a successor to the Kyoto Protoco, according to Reuters. The companies called for the new agreement to be comprehensive, long-term, and market-oriented, and include all major economies including the U.S., China, and India.

Stéphane Dion, leader of Canada’s Liberal Party, recently proposed a “green shift” in taxes, which would cut income taxes by billions of dollars but make up for lost revenue via a national carbon tax. Debate over the measure has roiled Canada since, with Prime Minister Stephen Harper, a Conservative, harshly criticizing it. Polls suggest Canadians may be open to the plan, but want more information first.

The Greatest Generation Keeps On Giving With Carbon Offsets

Some have compared the effort needed to shift to a clean energy economy to the kind of full-scale societal mobilization not seen since World World II—a time when global warming wasn’t on anyone’s mind.

Not many are left who remember such an effort. But one man who does – an 84-year-old Carbonfund.org donor who worked on the Manhattan Project – believes carbon offsets are a key part of society’s upcoming transformation.

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