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A new year’s resolution to support my causes

Thursday, December 31st, 2009

When the term “New Year’s resolution” comes to mind, I think “optimistic ramblings.” Just because you buy a treadmill or a Pilates DVD does not mean you will stick to your thrice a week workout routine. Just because you say you’ll spend more time “enjoying the little things” does not mean you will stop every morning to take a second whiff of ground coffee before you rush out the door. That’s just not how it works. If you really want to change, you’d do it without a list made up at 11:59 p.m. on December 31st. If you really want to change, you’d start now.

But in sticking with tradition, I thought I would share a “Johanna” resolution that I made that fits the profile of something you might strive for in the new year (and new decade!). My resolution is simple: Live Consciously.

That probably seems silly, but I can’t tell you the number of times when I realized my day was a blur. Where did the time go? What did I accomplish? Did I do good today? Maybe this is too introspective to be productive. Maybe I’m over-thinking life in the worst way– in hindsight. But as someone who wants to make positive change in the world, it suddenly clicked that even the actions I don’t consider are affecting the world around me.

So I’ve decided that, as much as I can, I want to live consciously. That means understanding how my actions affect other people and our environment. This will start with my food choices. I need to take a much deeper look at how the food that I eat (that I support with my dollars) affects climate change, animal rights, and clean water. More on that next week.

What cause do you support with replyforall? What decisions do you make day-to-day or week-to-week that affect this cause? If you’re using replyforall’s email signature, you’ve already transformed a simple action into a meaningful one. But what else? I’m curious to hear from you about those conscious actions and how to start the revolution from the inside out. Drop me an email or comment below! And from all of us at replyforall, happy new year!

Fight the Good Fight,

Johanna Hudgens

sponsored by

Each year, roughly hundreds of bonobos are killed for bushmeat in Africa.

By using this email signature, Johanna and ASPCA provided an hour of protective services for 12 animals.

Cheat Sheet for Keeping Resolutions (online.wsj.com)
New Year’s resolutions: Yea or nay? (timesunion.com)
Survey Finds Over Half of All Americans Committing to Green New Years Resolutions (treehugger.com)

Tags: animal rights, clean water, climate change, global warming, Johanna Hudgens, new year resolution, Replyforall
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Supporting your cause during the holidays (or any day)

Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009

While you’re doing last minute shopping, or thinking of gift ideas for a birthday, anniversary, or graduation, consider these ideas connected to replyforall’s eight causes.

Find a cure for cancer. This year, Obama requested more than $6 billion in cancer research, with a “multiyear” plan to double its funding. That means if you supported Obama in the last election, you’re supporting this cause already! Luckily, there are many opportunities to support cancer research during the holidays, like sending cards from young artists. The Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation sells cards for the holiday season, the proceeds directly benefiting pediatric cancer research. The best part? Young patients design the cards (their info is on the back), lending a hand to future patients suffering from cancer. Turns out they’re super cute, too.

Stop global AIDS. In 2007, the estimated number of people in the US living with HIV/AIDS was 557,902 people, including 4,891 children. In the world, that number jumps to 33.4 million according to 2008 estimates, with 2.1 million children worldwide suffering from HIV/AIDS. Ending global AIDS starts at home, and it starts with you. This year, we think the best way to support this cause is to get tested and encourage others to do so. For a list of HIV test centers in the US, you can search here by location. Of course, you can also support nonprofits that provide HIV testing and treatment with everything from postage stamps to t-shirts to coffee mugs. That can make a great gift. And not just for the one who gets the coffee mug.

Defend animal rights. So this idea is one of my personal favorites because it involves loved ones and food. One of the best ways to defend animal rights during the holidays is to commit to what I like to call “guilt-free” eating. Making the effort to cook a vegan meal– even if it’s just one time– gives you the opportunity to make conscious decisions about where your food comes from and what activities you support (like animal cruelty) when buy and eat that food. There are some awesome ideas for vegan cooking at Fat-free Vegan Kitchen, including cookies, cakes, and green bean casserole. So heat up that oven, invite over your closest friends, and have a guilt-free holiday party! Other ideas on how to support animal rights can be found at ASPCA’s site.

Protect children’s rights. Human trafficking is one of the fastest growing criminal industries in the world, with profits estimated by the UN around $7 billion a year. This holiday, make sure none of your money goes to support this slave trade by checking out the list of goods made with slave labor, released by the US Department of Labor. You can also find more information and petitions to sign around this topic at Change.org, including the “8 ways to shed light on human trafficking this Hanukkah.”

Fight global warming. There are plenty of ways to “go green” this Christmas, but I think the best way is to find alternatives to gift-giving altogether. Considering the waste of producing products, from the carbon emissions it takes to run the factories to the trash that ends up in our landfills, it seems the best way to fight global warming is to take a serious look at why we think we need more stuff. But, if foregoing gifts puts a damper on your holiday, you can still be earth-friendly by making gifts by hand, buying from organic and carbon neutral companies, and wrapping them in recycled newspaper. Also, check out National Geographic’s list on how to have a green Christmas.

Provide clean water. replyforall’s nonprofit sponsor, Engineers Without Borders, has teamed up with Google, Inc. to give your holiday donation an extra punch. Double the punch, actually. From now until January 15, 2010, your donation to Engineers Without Borders will be matched by Google, doubling your investment in clean water! Your donation can fund sustainable engineering projects (one of over 350 currently in place) done by EWB in conjunction with local communities and NGOs.

End world poverty. There are plenty of ways to end world poverty this holiday season, and in the spirit of giving gifts, the best way to do so is making sure your gifts provide living wages to those who make them. You can find fair-trade gift ideas at the TransFair USA blog, and donating to micro-finance nonprofits provides funding necessary for potential business owners around the world to start up their companies. While micro-financing has recently turned scam-like for commercial profiteers like large banks, you can still provide loans by giving to nonprofits like Kiva, which has a repayment rate of over 98% and works with multiple credit unions in the area. And once your loan has been repaid, you can loan it out again, or take the money back.

Support education. Our nonprofit partner, DonorsChoose.org, gives donations to specific classrooms with specific needs. Just as the name suggests, the donor chooses which project to support– for the holidays, you can give the DonorsChoose.org GivingCard, which allows the recipient to pick their favorite project. Or, if you have a good idea of what that recipient loves, you can give for them– musical instruments in honor of your guitar-playing dad, sporting equipment for your basketball-loving best friend. Best part comes when your honoree hears back from the classroom!

We hope these can give you some last-minute ideas for the holidays, or something to come back to when a special someone’s birthday rolls around. If you have other ideas on how to support a cause, leave a comment for others to read with the cause in the subject line. As always, you can give to your favorite cause by adding the replyforall signature to your emails. Free to you, but generating donations every time you hit SEND.

Fight the Good Fight,

Johanna Hudgens

sponsored by

A year of schooling for the mother reduces child mortality by about 10%.

By using this email signature, Johanna and DonorsChoose.org provided an hour’s worth of school resources for 338 students.

Tags: AIDS, animal rights, cancer research, children, children rights, Christmas, clean water, climate change, Donorschoose.org, education, Engineers Without Borders, fatfree vegan kitchen, global warming, Google, Hanukkah, HIV test, HIV/AIDS, Holiday, human tra, Human trafficking, Johanna Hudgens, Kiva, Replyforall, world poverty
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Leaked Climate Negotiations and Copenhagen Goals

Wednesday, December 9th, 2009

Last week we brought you leaked emails from top climate change scientists which led to dispute over whether or not “global warming” actually existed. But as the climate talks continue at Copenhagen, there’s more information to be leaked– this time from negotiations that took place before the UN summit commenced.

The “Danish text”, as it is called, reportedly sets forth an agreement between developed nations (the US and Denmark are rumored to be on the list) to work from when they arrived at Copenhagen. The problem? Developing countries see this as a behind-closed-doors deal that leaves them out of the negotiations. For nations who feel that the UN is the only place they are equally represented, this leaked info is a slap in the face. Not to mention that there is a UN legal process in place for negotiations. There is also concern that funds for combating climate change and cutting emissions in developing nations will be handled by the World Bank. (For those of you who do not know the downfalls of the World Bank, check out this article on World Bank Corruption )

Luckily, Lumumba Di-Aping, the Sudanese chairman of the group of 132 developing countries known as G77 plus China, still believes Copenhagen to be central in the climate change struggle. “We will not walk out of the talks at this late hour,” Di-Aping said, “because we will not allow the failure of Copenhagen. But we will not sign an inequitable deal; we will not accept a deal that condemns 80% of the world population to further suffering and injustice.”

We at replyforall stand behind any climate negotiation that equitably deals with issues of injustice among nations, and puts pressure on those industries who bear the brunt of responsibility for carbon emissions. And Di-Aping had some advice for all of us: “We call ordinary people to put the utmost pressure on politicians to come to their senses.”

You can sign the petition urging Obama to come to an equitable climate deal, and add the replyforall signature to stop global warming one email at a time. In one month, you can take 32kg of CO2 out of our skies, just by regularly using replyforall’s signature in your emails. What do you want to see coming out of the Copenhagen talks? Add your comment below!

Fight the Good Fight,

Johanna Hudgens

50 billion recycled aluminum cans can provide enough energy for 2.7 million homes.

sponsored by

By using this email signature, Johanna and ClimateCounts.org prevented 1,072 kg of CO2 from entering our skies.

Copenhagen climate summit in disarray after ‘Danish text’ leak (guardian.co.uk)
Climate Deal Likely to Bear Big Price Tag (nytimes.com)
“Veg Climate Alliance” Asserts: Major Shift To Plant-Based Diets Essential To Avert Water Catastrophe (prweb.com)

Tags: climate change, ClimateGate, Copenhagen, Denmark, Developed country, Developing country, Environment, global warming, Johanna Hudgens, Replyforall, World Bank
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ClimateGate: Scandal and the Future of Copenhagen

Tuesday, December 1st, 2009

Denmark reports that 98 world leaders will attend the climate summit in Copenhagen, all with the goal of creating a new climate negotiation before Kyoto’s expires in 2012. Even Barack Obama is planning to stop in to Copenhagen on Dec. 9, the day before he receives his Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo.

This is great news for environmentalists, as the climate for these discussions have also heated up as of late. Even the WTO has preemptively sought after a “green” deal to open up trade for environmental goods (solar panels, anyone?). In fact, the Doha Round of trade liberalization has been going on since 2001, but the negotiations continually stall over cuts in farm subsidies and industrial product tariffs. But as the Indonesian trade minister, Mari Pangestu, said, “Lowering tariffs on clean technology is not going to be enough … to address the climate change objective.”

It may be even tougher to address the issue of climate change following the so-called “Climategate Scandal.” Over the past few weeks, hackers entered into the computer systems at the Climate Research Unit of the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom. The leaked information revealed conversations between top climate experts who support the theory of global warming. This is huge, since some of the scientists are directly affiliated with the UN’s International Panel on Climate Change. Depending on who you listen to (and whether or not they are reporting the story at all), you might see these differently.

Fox News claims the emails show how climate change proponents have tricked Americans into thinking that the climate crisis is real. It also reportss that these emails, now surfaced, will greatly impede the climate talks in Copenhagen. You can read some of the quotes and emails at the Telegraph (UK news source) and The Centre for Research Globalization (Independent Org in Montreal). The US Congress is currently investigating the scientists and their leaked emails and documents.

So what do you think? Was data manipulated to fit policy changes? And will the summit in Copenhagen be a failure because of the leak? We want to know what you think!

Fight the Good Fight,

Johanna Hudgens

More than 25% of food produced in the U.S. is wasted.

sponsored by

By using this email signature, Johanna and ClimateCounts.org prevented 1,063 kg of CO2 from entering our skies.

Browner Shrugs Off Hot Debate on Climate Change Emails (blogs.wsj.com)
UN Climate Chief Welcomes Obama Trip to Conference (usnews.com)
UN chief Achim Steiner warns of high cost of climate delays (guardian.co.uk)

Tags: Barack Obama, climate change, climate summit, ClimateGate, Copenhagen, Doha Development Round, Environment, global warming, green trade, Johanna Hudgens, Nobel Peace Prize, Replyforall, University of East Anglia, WTO
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Global Warming– no longer a hot topic?

Thursday, November 5th, 2009

Our last blog at replyforall covered the worldwide action around climate change, led by 350.org. With thousands of actions in over 180 countries, it’s hard to deny that we’re serious about the issue.

Climate Change Map

Are we in the minority? The same weekend that hundreds of thousands of people came out to take a stand for earth, an article was published in the New York Times saying that Americans, at least, are cooling on the issue of global warming.

The research to suggest this comes from the Pew Research Center, which reports that the number of Americans who believe that global warming is a big issue has dropped sharply. In April of last year, 44% said that global warming was a very serious problem; this year, only 35% of people interviewed did. Of course, what is categorized as “serious” can be very relative–but facts are facts, right? The research shows that only 36% of Americans believe that human activity causes rising temperatures, down from 47% last year.

Has the evidence been shoved aside, or has new evidence clouded our understanding of the issue of climate change? The good news is, according to Pew, a majority of Americans still believe that the United States should join other countries to set standards around global climate change.

Yet, the U.N. has lowered its expectations of the climate change summit in Copenhagen, stating that a legally binding deal between developed nations will take longer than they expected. And the legislation for cap and trade, or any substantive climate policy, has been buried in Congress.

Maybe truthdig.com is right– Americans won’t believe in global warming until they’re actually melting. So thank you to our users for staying aware and spreading that awareness to your friends with the fight global warming email signature. replyforall is so happy that your emails are driving donations to ClimateCounts.org and the Clean Energy Coalition– two organizations who aren’t cooling off when it comes to global climate change and the need to act now.

What do you think about changing perceptions? We’d love to hear what you have to say, comment below!

Fight the Good Fight,

Johanna Hudgens

Nylon and polyester create nitrous oxide which is 310 times worse than CO2.

sponsored by

By using this email signature, Johanna and ClimateCounts.org prevented 1,030 kg of CO2 from entering our skies.

Survey Says: Americans Not Worried About Global Warming (blogs.wsj.com)
If Cap-and-Trade is So Terrible, What’s the Alternative? (blogs.wsj.com)
UN Signals Delay in Climate Change Treaty (usnews.com)
Poor nations accuse rich over climate (guardian.co.uk)

Tags: 350.org, CEC, climate change, Climate Change Map, climatecounts.org, Copenhagen, Emissions trading, Environment, global warming, Global Warming Map, Johanna Hudgens, Pew Research Center, Replyforall, United States
Posted in news | 14 Comments »

Bottom Up Action: a global response to climate change

Wednesday, October 28th, 2009

Last week replyforall filled you in on a few of the top down actions that are taking shape to battle our changing climate. But this past weekend was a perfect example of how the actions of individuals can form a worldwide movement for change.

If there’s one thing people across the world have in common, it’s mother earth. So forming a grassroots movement around climate change means putting down roots not just in our communities, not just in our nation, but in all nations. One nonprofit, 350.org, got the message and set out to fight climate change with a global call to action.

October 24th was the International Day of Climate Change Action, and individuals joined together in solidarity across 181 countries. With over 5,200 actions across the world, these activists put pressure on their respective governments to take the action into legislation. Perfect timing, as the world’s leaders are gearing up for talks in Copenhagen on an international climate agreement.

replyforall stood in solidarity bypartnering with 350.org to promote the Oct. 24th actions. If didn’t make it out on Oct. 24th you can support the fight against climate change just by adding the replyforall signature to your email. By donating some space at the bottom of your email, you can raise awareness about global warming and garner donations for ClimateCounts.org and the Clean Energy Coalition.

We’re obviously taking action to make our voices heard in the climate debate, and hopefully the government will follow in our footsteps!

You can check out some more of the awesome photos from the world– there are over 19, 000 of them!– at 350.org’s flickr site.

With all the action around climate change from both the top down and the bottom up, it’s impossible to think no one cares about climate change. Did you participate with 350 on Oct.24th? Shoot me your pics and we’ll be sure to share them on replyforall.com. Stay tuned next week when replyforall tackles the issue of changing public perceptions in the climate change debate.

Fight the Good Fight,

Johanna Hudgens

If 10% of Americans used public transit every day, the US would decrease its reliance on foreign oil by 40%.

sponsored by

By using this email signature, Johanna and ClimateCounts.org prevented 1,013 kg of CO2 from entering our skies.

5 Things You Should Know About The Copenhagen Climate Summit (takepart.com)
Canadians at international day of action against climate change (nationalpost.com)

Tags: 350.org, Activism, climate change, Copenhagen, Environment, global warming, grassroots, Johanna Hudgens
Posted in news | 1 Comment »

Push for Climate Change Legislation is coming: the top down approach

Thursday, October 22nd, 2009

For many of us following the news over climate change, it’s been a long and obstacle-ridden path to pass energy reform. But as the road gets longer, the travelers get impatient. We’re seeing that people around the world are pushing for immediate climate change action, and US senators are hopping on the bandwagon.

The UN Climate Change panel reports that there is still a deadlock over an international treaty to cut carbon emissions. While a few countries have announced large cuts, like Norway and Japan, other developed nations are committing to less than 20% emissions. The UN panel recommends cuts to range from 25-40% in developed nations.

In the United States, though, there’s been some progress. The Senate is looking to pass legislation to cut carbon emissions without endangering American jobs or pressuring American pocketbooks, and it’s doing so though bipartisan legislation. Democratic Senator John Kerry (MA) and Republican Senator Lindsey Graham (SC) wrote an Op-Ed in the New York Times outlining the Senate’s plan for energy reform. It’s called, “Yes We Can (Pass Climate Change Legislation).” (You can read my series on the costs of nuclear energy, if you’re curious.) Kerry and Graham also urge other Congressmen/women to pass reform, warning that the EPA will regulate either way, and Congress can write bills to protect jobs.

So what will it take for climate change reform to happen? Stay tuned next week when we cover what is happening from the bottom-up. Grassroots movements are taking shape around the world, and replyforall sponsor 350.org is leading the pack.

You can join the movement everyday to reduce carbon emissions, just by adding the replyforall signature to your emails. Adding the signature drives donations to our nonprofit partners, ClimateCounts.org and Clean Energy Coalition, and removes the equivalent of 32 kg of CO2 every month! (Not to mention the cool graphics that are a part of the Fight Global Warming signature.)

Fight the Good Fight,

Johanna Hudgens

Heating with sustainably harvested wood in an EPA-certified stove is carbon neutral.

sponsored by

By using this email signature, Johanna and ClimateCounts.org prevented 968 kg of CO? from entering our skies.

Senate climate bill drops “cap and trade” term (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
E.P.A. Moves to Curtail Greenhouse Gas Emissions (nytimes.com)
Senate Climate Bill Gets Bipartisan Support (treehugger.com)

Tags: climate change, Greenhouse gas, Johanna Hudgens, John Kerry, legislation, Lindsey Graham, Senate, UN, United States
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Combatting Climate Change through Legislation

Tuesday, July 7th, 2009

With the increased acceptance that climate change actually exists, the Senate is now looking to pass an energy bill that President Obama calls historic:

The bill would mandate reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and require greater use of renewable energy. The Markey-Waxman bill has already passed the House, and is now being worked on in the Senate. With the changes made in the House, the US would need to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 17 percent before 2020 and 83 percent by 2050. The bill passed after many compromises, many demanded by representatives from states that rely mostly on nuclear and coal. Of course, the agriculture sectorwhile exempt from cap and trade policieslobbied for benefits from following climate guidelines, a lobby that has been accused of crippling the passage of the bill.

After the House bill passed with a 219-212 vote, its up to the Senate now to draft their bill and finish hearings before the September 18th deadline. According to an E&E analysis, the passage is within reach! And looking towards the global climate summit this December in Copenhagen, this bill could put the US in good standing to be a leader in an international protocol.

All we can do now is call or write our senators to demand the passage of the bill and create the most progressive energy standards in the United States. But as President Jimmy Carter said three decades ago of our energy crisis:

It’s clear that the true problems of our Nation are much deeper — deeper than gasoline lines of energy shortages, deeper even than inflation or recessionall the legislation in the world can’t fix what’s wrong with AmericaEnergy will be the immediate test of our ability to unite this Nation, and it can also be the standard around which we rally We can manage the short-term shortages more effectively and we will, but there are no short-term solutions to our long-range problems. There is simply no way to avoid sacrifice.

Hard to believe that was said thirty years ago? Now it has fallen on the shoulders of our generation. I know that our generation will rally behind the environmental cause. It starts with us– make the change.

Fight the Good Fight,
Johanna Hudgens

sponsored by

Marine life absorbs about 10% of man-made CO2 in the ocean.

Johanna and ClimateCounts.org prevented 328 kg of CO? from entering our skies. What’s replyforall about? Click to learn more »

Tags: ACES Act, Climate bill, climate change, global warming, Johanna Hudgens, Markey-Waxman bill, Obama, Replyforall
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Today is Earth Day: What can you do?

Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009

“The idea of wilderness needs no defense. It only needs more defenders.” ~ Edward Abbey

$I\'m with stupid$ April 22, 2009 is Earth Day around the globe and now it the time to start taking steps to ensure our economies, governments, and lives operate in a sustainable, responsible way. I wanted to take this quick opportunity to thank everyone for the great work youve done so far in spreading the word about replyforall and our fight global warming cause.

So far, weve taken 1,535 lbs of CO₂ out of our skies. Dont let it stop there! Tell your friends about the simple, practical, sustainable way to donate funding to organizations like the Clean Energy Coalition and ClimateCounts.org. And its free to you!
For those of you out there who are wondering what Earth Day is all about, I recommend checking out the Earth Day Network website. They give you the history of Earth Day, which began in 1970 with the help of then Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson.

Now, 39 years later, Earth Day is the largest secular holiday in the world, celebrated by over one billion people. And Earth Day Network is committed to its belief that all people, regardless of race, gender, income, or geography, have a moral right to a healthy, sustainable environment. Thats why they promote environmental movements every day, not just Earth Day, to raise awareness of issues that people might not consider when they think of an environmental movement. How about greening our schools, public education, civic engagement, and health issues of communities? It all connects back to the earth, even if we forget to consider that fact on a daily basis.

For those of you who are free today and want to celebrate Earth Day in your area, go to the Earth Day Network site and search for events by zip code. Like Mothers Day or Fathers Day or the many other holidays we celebrate each year (even birthdays!), today is a day to give thanks to Earth and celebrate everything it has done for us.

But dont let it stop there. The earth provides for us the other 365 days of the year (its a leap year, remember?). So let this day be a starting point for appreciating and respecting the earth every day. Here’s a video I found with some quick facts and tips about American consumption and ways to cut down:

Some (or all) of these may seem like no brainers, but how often do you do all of them? And how many people have you convinced to do the same? It’s starts now, every day, every action.

And you can drive support every day for organizations working to raise awareness and promote sustainable actions, just by sending email. Sign up at replyforall, and support the fight against global warming with Clean Energy Coalition and ClimateCounts.org! Remember, for every 12 of us who use the replyforall signature for the month, were taking 500 kg of CO2 out of our atmosphere and away from our lungs, and telling the world we want clean energy! Already a fight global warming replyforall user? Invite your friends. If each of us brings on 11 more people, we could remove 3,000,000 kg of CO2 from our skies this month.

Fight the Good Fight,
Johanna Hudgens
Wellesley College 2009

Tags: climate change, Earth Day, Earth Day Network, global warming, Johanna Hudgens, Replyforall
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Fight Global Warming with Clean Energy Coalition and ClimateCounts.org

Monday, April 20th, 2009

Support organizations that are battling climate change this month with replyforall for Earth Month.

The way CEC sees it, the adoption of clean energy will lower the long term cost and environmental impact of energy use, resulting in healthier communities that are wiser in their use of energy and more self reliant and secure in their energy supply. Clean Energy Coalition (CEC) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that started in Ann Arbor, Michigan and is dedicated to promoting clean energy technologies as a way to create healthier, energy independent communities. Their efforts help to reduce the amount of CO2 and other greenhouse gases entering our atmosphere, and to slow the effects of climate change.

To learn what CEC has accomplished, check out a video on one of their projects, Michigan Energy $ense. Through building and site audits, CEC can evaluate a commercial or residential buildings energy efficiency and resulting energy costs. In addition, they also run sustainability analysis, which includes assessments of indoor air quality, storm water management strategies, and sustainable landscape recommendations, as well as determining green material options and waste reduction strategies. And if youre curious if your building has the potential for renewable energy, CEC can tell you that, too!

While CEC is dedicated to raising public awareness of energy efficiency, the organization also works, with the help of state and federal grants, to make renewable energy (such as wind and solar) more cost-effective and therefore competitive with other sources of energy. One of their projects, Solar America Cities, is working in Ann Arbor to make solar power (through photovoltaic cells) cost-competitive with conventionally-delivered energy (oil, coal, etc.) by the year 2015. To learn more about their programs, check out their website. The site also gives some great basic facts about renewable energy. If you have Twitter, you can follow one of CEC staff members, Robyn, and track their progress.

The underlying principle of ClimateCounts.org is simple: Business has the power to change the world, and you have the power to change business. Many of us don’t realize that we support not only business of products we buy, but– in voting with our dollar– support their business practices. For those of us who do understand the concept of voting with our dollar, it can become difficult to traverse through business practices, do the research, and rank them all before we go to get a bite to eat or restock our sock drawer.

Enter ClimateCounts.org. They rank companies based on the environmental effect of business practices and give them a score which consumers can view before deciding to spend their money.

The goal of scoring companies is to motivate deeper awareness among consumers-not only that the issue of climate change demands their attention, but also that they have the power to support companies that take climate change seriously – and avoid those that don’t.

You can take a look at how your favorite companies compare in the fight against global warming, and search companies based on business sector, all through the ClimateCounts.org website. It’s on a scale of 0 to 100, based on criteria of whether the company has measured its climate footprint, reduced their impact, supported progressive climate legislation, and publicly disclosed their actions to the public. The higher the score, the more committed a company is to environmentally friendly practices. For instance, Disney has a score of 25, Google has a score of 55, and Burger King has a score of 0. If you see something your like or don’t like, the site even gives you a link to email that company and tell them that you are paying attention and want to see change (or want to see them keep up the good work!). You can follow ClimateCounts on Twitter, too!

replyforall is very excited to provide its users the opportunity to donate money to these organization just by using email. You can put CEC or ClimateCounts.org in your email signature along with the fight global warming cause, and spread the news about these innovative organizations!

Just 12 of us using replyforall drives enough donations in a month to allow our partners ClimateCounts.org and Clean Energy Coalition take 1 car off the road for a month, or prevent 500 kg of CO2 from entering our skies. So spread the word and fight global warming through your inbox!

Tags: clean energy coalition, climate change, climatecounts.org, global warming, Johanna Hudgens, Replyforall
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