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Earth Day 2006 Events Announced
Looking for a way to celebrate Earth Day this year? Well, look no further. Earth Share announces our three April events:
We'll kick things off on April 21, 2006, with the 4th annual Leadership Breakfast at Atlantic Station. The breakfast provides a forum for business, government and non-profit leaders to reflect on some of our most pressing environmental challenges.
On April 22, co-chairs Laura and Rutherford Seydel will welcome guests to the 10th annual Party in the Park , held at Atlantic Station's Central Park. Guests are invited to compare their own environmental footprints with friends and colleagues as they take in the skyline and enjoy live music, free food and bid on a silent auction packed with great deals on art, jewelry, getaways, and environmental gear. All proceeds benefit Earth Share of Georgia.
Earth Day activities wrap up on Saturday, April 29, when Earth Share will host the Green Day Challenge. Volunteers from Georgia businesses will participate in environmental clean-up projects, and the company that turns out the most volunteers will win the Challenge! For information on getting your company involved, contact Earth Share.
Major sponsors for Earth Day already include Kaiser Permanente, Whole Foods Market, Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta, Atlantic Station, Natural Body Spa and Shoppe, LAB 601, Turner Broadcasting System, Eventologie, SweetWater Brewing Company, and BP North America. Contact Earth Share for sponsorship information. For more on the Earth Day activities, visit www.earthsharega.org/EarthDay2006. [back to top] Earth Share Welcomes New Member Group
Ever stop to think about how far the food in your pantry traveled to get there? Or what's in it? In recent years, consumers and growers began to realize that our personal health and the health of our environment are largely influenced by how our food is grown and distributed. With that realization came a rising demand for healthy and locally grown foods. Enter Earth Share of Georgia's newest benefiting member group, Georgia Organics, which advocates "Local foods, sustainable farms and healthy people."
As part of its mission to redefine our food production system, GO is active in a variety of partnerships to benefit farmers, gardeners and consumers, including a new coalition, the Atlanta Local Food Initiative, which aims to bring local food and people closer together. With most food coming from a whopping 1700 miles away on average, the coalition is working to shorten that distance by making locally grown food accessible to institutions like schools and hospitals, for starters. GO also hopes to broaden the horizons of future farmers and gardeners in Georgia by developing a sustainable agriculture curriculum to be used by universities, master gardeners and high school educators.
Starting in the fall of 2006, you'll be able to contribute to Georgia Organics through your company's Earth Share campaign. Visit www.georgiaorganics.org to learn more about GO, browse their ever-growing organic directory, and view upcoming events including a free Organic and Community Garden Workshop to be held at the Decatur Public Library on March 11.
[back to top] Donate Your Car to Earth Share
Looking to donate that used car? Earth Share is excited to announce a new partnership with Car Program LLC. Car Program will pick up your donated vehicle, sell it at auction or directly to a salvage yard, and then donate a portion of the proceeds to Earth Share of Georgia. It's a simple way to support the environment and get rid of that old car! And of course, it's tax deductible. Click here to view the donation form. [back to top] Whole Foods Purchases Wind Energy Credits
Whole Foods Market, the world's leading natural and organic foods supermarket, has made news by making the largest ever purchase of wind energy credits in the United States. This landmark purchase of renewable energy credits from wind farms will offset 100% of the electricity used in all of its stores, facilities, bake houses, distribution centers, regional offices and national headquarters in the United States and Canada.
This is the largest wind energy credit purchase in the history of the United States and Canada, and makes Whole Foods Market the only Fortune 500 Company purchasing wind energy credits to offset 100% of its electricity use. This purchase will avoid more than 700 million pounds of carbon dioxide pollution this year. To have the same environmental impact, more than 60,000 cars would have to be taken off the road or more than 90,000 acres of trees would have to be planted! [back to top] Conservation International Leads Discovery Team
Conservation International, one of Earth Share's national member groups, made headlines recently after leading a group of international scientists into a virtually untouched region of the Foja Mountains in New Guinea. What they found was truly amazing: a cache of new and "missing" species of plants and animals. New species of frogs, butterflies and plants were observed, and many rare species were found, such as an uncommon tree kangaroo and perhaps the largest rhododendron flower on record. Additionally, some species that hadn't been documented in decades, even centuries, were found, such as the elusive Berlepsch's Six-wired Bird of Paradise. Conservation International is already planning a follow-up trip to the region in late 2006.
Sources: Conservation Frontlines Online and CNN.com [back to top] Interface Lowers Carbon Dioxide Emissions
Atlanta-based Interface, Inc., a global leader in the manufacture of environmentally responsible floorcoverings, recently purchased more than 33,000 tons of emission reduction credits (ERCs) to offset the carbon dioxide emissions associated with its Cool Carpet products. Interface's ERC purchases to date equate to 54,000 cars not driven for a year, or 28 million gallons of gas not consumed.
The credits were purchased through Native Energy, a national marketer of renewable energy credits. An American Indian majority-owned company, their wind and dairy farm methane projects reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. To find out more about Interface's commitment to the environment, visit www.interfacesustainability.com. [back to top] "Like music and art, love of nature is a common language that can transcend political or social boundaries." -Jimmy Carter
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