Carbon Neutrality on the Web, Top Ten Resources for Carbon Neutrality

Carbon Neutrality, Carbon Offsetting, Carbon Credits, Carbon Cap & Trade- how to find out what’s going on with all of it? This is an issue close to my heart- Here are some of the many great resources out there to get you started.

Carbon Neutrality Top Ten Resources on the Web

1. Carbon Fund http://www.carbonfund.org/
As they say, “Carbonfund.org works with over 1,200 businesses and 450,000 individuals to reduce their carbon footprint and solve climate change through Education, Carbon offsets and Communication.” Great site doing great work.

2. Climate Crisis (The Inconvenient Truth) http://www.climatecrisis.net
For many people, the Inconvenient Truth was the movie that first got them conscious of how carbon emissions are playing such an integral role in the climate change crisis. This website carries on that legacy of information.

3. Carbon Neutral http://www.carbonneutral.com/
Great background information complete with a program for going carbon neutral aimed at businesses. They also have a great video of folks who are currently making carbon neutrality happen at their business.

4. Carbon Neutral Digest http://carbonneutraldigest.com/
They say it best: “Carbon Neutral Digest is your one stop for information about becoming carbon neutral. We provide an up to date list of all US based carbon neutral organizations and a detailed description of their practices here. We also have a detailed description of what is involved with each offset project.”

5. Terra Pass http://www.terrapass.com/
The premiere global provider of carbon offsets, Terra Pass has information and opportunities for everyone from businesses to families to individuals. They have a great blog called The Footprint as well.

6. Be Green Now http://www.begreennow.com/
This is a carbon offset project started from the Green Mountain Energy that began in 1997 with the idea to “change the way power is made”. Green Mountain is now the USA’s leading cleaner energy provider.

7. Google Carbon Footprint UK Project http://www.google.co.uk/carbonfootprint/
Great project from Google that helps you calculate your footprint, figure out what actions are best for you, and puts you on a UK carbon footprint map!

8. Fight Global Warming http://www.fightglobalwarming.com
Run by the Environmental Defense Fund, a leading nonprofit organization, they represent more than 500,000 members, and have been connecting people and resources since 1967. Lots of great info and connections from decades of work!

9. Carbon Offsets Daily http://www.carbonoffsetsdaily.com
This blog is a good daily resource for all tings carbon- they source news from all over the web and break it down by continent. Overall, a good place to find new news without additional commentary.

10. Carbon Footprint http://www.carbonfootprint.org.uk/
This is an online project I am involved with, so there’s a little shameless self-promotion- The Carbon Footprint blog is part of a continued dedication to all things green in the future of affiliate marketing and carbon offsetting as a way to make a difference.

In the continuing battle against global warming, climate change and that same battle to reduce our personal carbon footprint, U.S. President Barack Obama continues pushing for a cap-and-trade program for U.S. businesses. A new study from the Charles River Associates says that Obama’s proposed cap-and-trade program would have substantial impact on both the oil and gas industries.

The study finds that the program may raise costs and cut jobs. It is interesting to look at spin here—Yes, if we work to cap and reduce our oil and gas use and those caps and reductions work, then people will lose those jobs. The crucial thing is to create new jobs so that displaced workers will have new skills and new areas to cultivate. Industrial carbon footprint reduction necessitates scaling back our fossil fuel use right now- and this will mean difficult transitions. For now it could mean enforcing things like carbon offsetting or the cap and trade system.

Reducing your personal carbon footprint can require sacrifice and a change in both priorities and outlook. Reducing your carbon footprint inherently means just that- reducing. For an economic model based on perpetual growth rather than sustainability, reduction is still a taboo word. Doing what it takes to become carbon neutral or create a low carbon footprint will be a dramatic shift for greenhouse gas burning industries who are used to getting their way in the U.S. government.

“The projected increased costs imposed on US-located refineries to cover facility [greenhouse gas] emissions under the Obama administration’s proposed cap-and-trade provision would not be faced by many refineries outside the US, which would put US refineries at a competitive disadvantage,” said the Charles River Associates report.

“Overall, the cap-and-trade proposal in the Obama administration’s fiscal 2010 budget is designed to raise the cost of using conventional energy by requiring emission allowances for the use of that energy, effectively restriction [its] use in the US economy. Higher energy costs would likely reduce total consumption, employment and economic output,” the study said.

The plan is generating debates in the U.S. capitol with many in Congress vehemently opposed to the entire plan, viewing it as destructive to an already fragile economy. Obama’s supporters, however, see it as a bold move forward for an agenda that includes national carbon footprint reduction, from personal to industry.

The transition from fossil fuel burning economy to a low-carbon economy will be difficult and will require many difficult changes along the way. How governments and industry deal with those imminent changes will determine the future.

Monday morning, work week begins… I open Twitter to find that a brand new hashtag is trending… #EcoMonday. A quick scan of the #ecomonday list and I see that it’s all about recommending green Twitter users—sort of a focused #FollowFriday. As someone who is in green affiliate marketing, that’s exciting.

One of the greatest things about Twitter is how easy it is to introduce good people to each other, or to seek out good people. Whether you are in green affiliate marketing, affiliate program management, or any kind of digital marketing, Twitter is an amazing vehicle (on any day) to meet new people and start creating relationships and partnerships.

In the spirit of #EcoMonday, I thought I would recommend some people who I think do great things in the Green Marketing world:

@affiliatesummit  Affiliate marketing is at the forefront of Green, from digital marketing to virtual storefronts and offices. Affiliate Summit is a great conference with a great blog to learn about the newest in the affiliate marketing world—green or otherwise.

@ecoaffiliate  Las Vegas based green affiliate program network. Great ideas and products.

@carbonheart  Twitter account for the CEO of the Carbon Advice Group, a green affiliate marketing program for voluntary carbon offsets.

@heatherinbc  Affiliate marketer who writes a fantastic blog about “Boating, Fishing, History and Living in British Columbia.”

@greenbiztweets  Twitter account for GreenBiz.com, a great site about all things green and business and marketing out of San Francisco.

Make sure to #EcoMonday all of your favorites from the Green side of Twitter!

Matthew Sullivan started the Carbon Advice Group in December 2007. Matthew Sullivan is a successful entrepreneur and has been involved in the creation and growth of management company in a number to sectors including UK and international retail and business to business financial services companies. Matthew Sullivan has extensive operating experience with large UK and international contact at senior levels in finance and banking.

Matthew Sullivan was chief operating officer of the McCarthy Corporation PLC where he was involved in group corporate strategy including sourcing deals, equity participation negotiation and acquisition targeting. Whilst at MaCarthy Corporation Matthew Sullivan worked closely with the Virgin Management Ltd team and Richard Branson. Mathew also was part of the team that Bransons V2 music label sought help from.

Matthew Sullivan has also been a Trustee of the London Air Ambulance Charitable Trust.

The Carbon Advice Group PLC founded by Matthew Sullivan sells carbon offsetting credits to the public and companies alike. To find out more about the Carbon Advice group you can google their name.

Green Affiliate Programs and the Triple Bottom Line

Green affiliate programs are powerful ventures in the emerging green economy, and I believe they embody both the triple bottom line embraced by sustainable companies as well as the key aspects of both environmental activism and economic growth. Green affiliate programs also make a statement that you are doing something about your carbon footprint.

The triple bottom line is a new way of accounting that determines the value and success of a business based on three areas: People, Planet, and Profit.

This emerging standard by which sustainable businesses and green start-ups are beginning to measure themselves is based around the concept that business can be beneficial socially, environmentally, and financially.
Here is why green affiliate programs are great for your triple bottom line:

1. People: This takes into account how beneficial or costly a new business venture is for people, both customers and employees.

Why Affiliate Programs? Affiliate programs build community by connecting like-minded vendors through networks. They thrive on connection, conversation and recommendations.

2. Planet: This takes into account how a new business or product effects the environment. In a sense, this part of the accounting takes into account the carbon footprint of a business.

Why Affiliate Programs? Affiliate programs are based on e-commerce, drastically reducing paper waste, and because affiliate programs utilize virtual offices and encourage working at home, they reduce carbon emissions from commuting. Affiliate programs have a naturally low carbon footprint.

3. Profit: This takes into account the traditional and still important aspect of how much money a business earns.

Why Affiliate Programs? Affiliate programs empower people who work at home and small business owners to make money through commissions on sales and referral bonuses. Affiliate programs are also good for your personal bottom line because they allow you to sell as many products as you want to, without the carbon emissions intensive process of inventory management.

Online affiliate programs have always utilized the latest in online marketing and business networking. As part of the emerging green economy, green online affiliate programs will empower anyone who is concerned about their carbon footprint or the carbon emissions created through traditional business to start or build their low carbon business as part of a low carbon life!

Here are some great places to find green affiliate programs:

1. http://www.greenaffiliateprograms.net/
“We are an online affiliate program directory serving to connect affiliates with businesses offering eco-friendly health and wellness products/services on the Web.”

2. http://www.eco-affiliate.com/
This directory focuses on Green, Bamboo, and Organic fashion affiliates. Periodic updates highlight new or notable products and programs.

3. http://www.pristineplanet.com/green-affiliate-programs-organic-affiliate-program-socially-responsible/affiliate-programs/15908_a_0.html
PristinePlanet.com offers eco-friendly comparison-shopping and offers reviews of eco-affiliate programs along with their directory service.

4. http://www.murraynewlands.com
As a green affiliate and green online marketing specialist, I make it my job to be up on the newest developments in green affiliate programs. If you are interested in being a business owner with a low carbon footprint:

Check back here for news and new green affiliate program opportunities!

Keywords
green affiliates
green affiliate
green affiliate programs
green affiliate program

An earthquake near L’Aquila, Italy, registering between 5.8 and 6.3 on the Richter scale, has killed more than 100 people and forced thousands to leave their homes. With that death toll rising, Italian leaders and citizens are asking the inevitable question: Could we have known about this? And what could we have done about it?

Science is not about prediction, science is about research and analysis. That said, Giacchino Giuliani, an Italian seismologist, warned of an impending earthquake just weeks before the actual disaster (http://bit.ly/1oNaav). He was reportedly silenced by the government who said that his warning had no scientific basis.

Sound familiar? Global warming research and climate change science are publishing an increasing amount of research around carbon emissions, greenhouse gasses and the human carbon footprint. For decades scientists and environmentalists have been talking about the effects of carbon emissions, global warming and the accelerating effects of climate change.

Still, there are people and associations telling us that we have nothing to worry about, that there is little scientific basis to link climate change and global warming to carbon emissions from fossil fuels. There is. The L’Aquila earthquake is the most recent example of what can happen when we fail to listen to, understand, and act on scientific research.

Carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels are a well-established cause of both global warming and climate change. Hearing a story about the L’Aquila earthquake or melting polar ice caps may leave you wondering, what can I do?

This is where knowing your carbon footprint and taking action comes in. Calculate your carbon footprint today! It will empower you to take action in your personal life to do something about climate change and your personal carbon emissions.

Now is the time to learn about your personal carbon footprint and start taking action to embrace a low carbon life. A low carbon life will help you to do your part to save the planet and will even help you save money, a welcome bonus in difficult economic times.

While there may be debate around how specific predictions of earthquakes like the one in L’Aquila or specific predictions of how long we have to do something to battle and reverse climate change and global warming, it is clear that scientific research and analysis offers important warnings about trends and changes in the environment.

Being aware of your personal carbon footprint is the first step toward changing your personal habits and acting to curb global warming and climate change. It is no longer just an option, it is a necessary action based on scientific research.

“PARIS (AFP) — A Jamaica-sized ice shelf is close to wrenching itself away from Antarctica, following dramatic weakening of an ice “bridge” linking it to the continent, the European Space Agency (ESA) reported Friday.” AFP

The Wilkins Ice Shelf part of the Antarctic ice shelf has just severed its last links with land and is happily breaking up into lots of icebergs and heading off to sea leaving the Antarctic, once again the map of the Antarctic will have to be redrawn, smaller. The Antarctic body of water locked up in the ice is so big that if it were all to melt sea levels could rise 58 feet.

What amazes me is that this news hits the TV the same day that that Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth hit the TV screen following The Day After Tomorrow and it only got a mentioned on the news for all of 30 seconds and then everything moved on. This news should be topping the bill.

What is scary is that every block of floating sea ice like the Wilkins Ice Shelf seems to hold back land based ice which if it all melted from the Antarctic would raise sea levels by 58 feet. Once one bit of ice melts away it can have dramatic consequences for the land ice shelf behind it soon starts to melt too! This time it is not holding back land ice but there are lots of other ice shelf’s that are.

This is why you, me and everyone else as a duty to do something to reduce our carbon footprints today, and offset that we cannot eliminate.

Educate yourself with a carbon footprint reduction ebook and take action today to become carbon neutral and learn how to live a low-carbon life. One of the best things to discover is that for many of us this means saving cash and the planet.

What can you do to stop more environmental disasters like the Wilkins Ice Shelf incident happening again and save the planet today?

Do you know someone in green marketing you could help to promote this cause?

Are you in online marketing or have a blog, can you help save the environment, help make the Wilkins Ice Shelf incident news! Could you help by twittering  this or add if to your Facebook profile?

Carbon Offsetting: The Basics

Carbon Offsetting is the process of neutralizing carbon emissions. Simple, right?

But what is a carbon offset? And what are carbon emissions? What’s carbon, anyway? 

These questions are essential to understanding of the process and theory behind carbon offsetting. There are many key terms and, as in any field, there are multiple working definitions of each term, depending on which expert you talk to. Definitions are not set in stone, but they do serve as a starting point for understanding and creating an intelligent conversation.

We live in a world that is transitioning from thoughtless consumption and resource usage to a more thoughtful and reasonable approach to resource management. The green movement and the green economy are both premised on the belief that humans can be sustainable members of the Earth’s ecosystem rather than simply destroy it.

Carbon offsetting is a core approach to raising our society’s awareness and reducing our impact on the environment. But what do all of those words mean?

Carbon Offsetting: Key Terms

Carbon—Carbon can mean a lot of things. In this context, “carbon” typically means the amount of carbon molecules that are part of CO2 compounds that are released into the atmosphere. Did I lose you? Think of “carbon” as the gas being emitted when fossil fuels get burned.

Carbon Dioxide (CO2)– A common chemical compound present in fossil fuels that is released as a gas.

Carbon Offset—Money or resources invested into capturing greenhouse gasses or creating and using alternative, clean energy.

Carbon Neutral—When the carbon emissions and carbon offsets of a person, business or group are equal. 

Carbon Footprint—The total, overall impact, measured in CO2, of a person, business or group.

Carbon Emissions—The specific amount of carbon generated and released into the atmosphere by a given activity, person, or process.

This week I’ve seen more than one blog talk about how Twitter is growing by over 1000%.  1000% growth!  Maybe it’s good that Evan Williams was called to the White House to talk about the economy.  It could be my twitter competition drawing in all their new users. 

The internet is the future of green marketing and social media is the future of everything marketing. As I’ve said before, social media already is and will continue to be a compelling marketing channel for the green economy.

People and companies in the green movement tend to have a low tolerance for “In-Your-Face” advertising, though, and a vocal and active reaction when it happens: not only do they ignore it but they tend to give it the stiff-arm and talk about it. I say:

Good. Whether it’s Malcolm Gladwell talking about his theories in the Tipping Point or MaxGladwell.com talking about the nexus between green marketing and social media, the evidence is there that word-of-mouth marketing has power and that word-of-mouth is fast becoming “Word-of-Web.

@greenbiztweets : Awesome. Network.

@bestgreenblogs : The stories and recommendations just keep coming. A great place to start your journey into the online green world. It’s a feed with personality that delivers just what they say: the best green blogs.
�
@treehugger : TreeHugger.com is a great blog.

 @treehugger has great contests and over 6,000 Followers that make a great network for the green world.

@greenoptions : First green blog network on the web & they always have great stories. Recently they’ve had California politicians starting to do guest blogs with them, including Gavin Newsom.

@planetgreen : They do practical, actionable tips for living a greener day to day …and they’ve got Tommy Lee on their page wallpaper. Basically, they rock.

@maxgladwell : self-described “nexus of social media and green living & a better world through technology, marketing and sustainability consulting.” I mean, we should be meeting up for happy hour.

@EnergyGeekCa : Investigative renewable energy reporter. If that’s not cool enough for you as a job title, you’ll dig the writing too.

@eproulx : Self-described activist and entrepreneur. Steady stream of great ideas. Recently said, “Online advertising is the new traditional.” I mean, you want to follow the thoughts of someone who believes that.

@Carbon_Offset: The Carbon offsetting twitter with lots of ideas about carbon offsetting, carbon credits and green marketing

@GOODinc : Ok, so it’s not all green, but it is all GOOD. The twitter account for the amazing magazine from LA that doesn’t charge subscription. “Pay what you want” and 100% goes to a non-profit. What? Amazing. 

@murraynewlands :  I love this stuff and will be tweeting about it. I love and tweet all things green and online and marketing. Find me on Twitter and say hello.

What is Green Online Marketing? As with any question worth asking, the answer isn’t simple. Green online marketing is about interconnectedness and adding something of value- both to the marketplace and to the Earth.

The American Marketing Association considers the marketing of environmentally safe products to be green marketing, and I agree. As an online green marketer myself, I know it is far more than that. 

Green marketing and the emerging green economy are changing the way that consumers, companies and marketers look at products. Rather than viewing marketing as little more than a fancy pitch from marketers to potential customers, green marketing sets the bar higher by expecting the product to be healthy, good for the Earth, and something that consumers can feel good about using.

Online interactions are also changing the way people look at marketing in general. Word of mouth is proving to be just as important as national advertising messages. Local recommendations and trusted online networks are once again where consumers turn when they need to make a new purchase. Online social media is about connecting people around common goals, beliefs and conversations. Websites like Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and blogs empower web users to share information and opinions at rates not possible even 5 years ago, and that changes the game of marketing entirely.

Just as the relationship between a human being and the Earth is becoming more transparent and each of our roles growing more and more important, so to are the roles of consumer and marketer becoming more transparent and important with the advent of social media networking. Whether through affiliate networking, link-sharing, or forum discussions, the idea of interconnectedness is a vital, driving force for online and affiliate marketing.

Green online marketing empowers forward-thinking individuals to use low-impact advertising techniques to get the word out about eco-conscious products. (Imagine how much smaller the carbon footprint (lower carbon emissions) of a Google ad or a twitter competition campaign is vs. a single billboard in a major city).

The green/ eco-friendly/ eco-conscious/ environmental movement is all about community and viewing the world and our ecosystem as an interconnected web. Because of our interconnectedness, green-minded consumers want to buy, sell and be associated with products that keep that web healthy. In the same way, people in a social media network want to be connected to other users that keep them healthy, smiling and contribute something of value. Green online marketing combines environmental consciousness with the focus on networking and the notion of adding value that are central to social networking to create an organic, effective approach.