The Carbon Portfolio Strategy is the newest component of our ongoing efforts to advance clean renewable energy and carbon mitigation. Through this Strategy, we will donate a total of $100,000 to nine organizations doing innovative work around climate change, renewable energy, and the environment.
We hope that by highlighting and creating a commons for these groups, we can advance preservation of existing ecosystems, restoration of degraded environments, and continued investment in clean, renewable energy technologies. Furthermore, by working with these groups and others to mitigate our own carbon emissions, we ultimately hope to get Pearl Jam at 0% net emissions for our tours and businesses.
IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST AND BEYOND
While the Carbon Portfolio Strategy has national and international components, the initial focus is on the Pacific Northwest -- our home. By identifying and supporting leaders in the environmental community, we hope to raise this region's carbon consciousness while also investing in a clean energy future.
We encourage you to identify and support leaders in your own community leading the charge for clean and renewable energy. In addition, we hope that you'll take a close look at how their daily activities contribute to the increasing amounts of carbon emissions in the air.
Want to know how much carbon emissions your everyday activities create?
Visit one of these Carbon Calculators to figure out what your carbon footprint looks like.:
Conservation International
Bonneville Environmental Foundation
Your tax-deductible donation will directly benefit the nine organizations
selected for the 2006 Portfolio.
2003 - We joined forces with Conservation International to offset 5,700 tons of CO2 emissions released from trucks, buses, airplane travel, hotel rooms, concert venues - and the estimated one million fans driving to and from the concerts - by creating and managing a new protected area in the rainforest of Makira, Madagascar.
2004 - Stone Gossard spearheaded an effort on the 2004 Vote for Change tour called the "Vote for Change Renewable Energy Project" that raised $77,000 to fund a variety of small-scale renewable energy projects in several of the states the tour traveled through. Dave Matthews, Bonnie Raitt, Pearl Jam and Stone Gossard individually donated money to this effort, which was overseen by Tom Starrs of the Bonneville Environmental Foundation. To date, the Vote for Change Renewable Energy Project has installed four solar photovoltaic power systems in states across the US, with four additional systems set for completion by the end of 2006.
2006 - This year we expanded their program to encompass a broader range of clean air solutions. In addition to the Carbon Portfolio Strategy, we are working to offset carbon emissions from their 2006 US tour by using B100 - pure bio-diesel - in all production trucks and in our tour buses. B100 reduces emissions of carbon monoxide by approximately 50% and carbon dioxide by 78% on a net lifecycle basis. In contrast to fossil fuels, which release new carbon previously sequestered in the earth's crust, the carbon in B100 emissions is recycled from carbon already present in the atmosphere.