RETURN2GREEN VISITS EJURA MAIZE FARMS IN EFFORT TO ENHANCE FARMER INCOMES AND REDUCE TONS OF CO2

September 24, 2011 – Ejura, Ghana
Press Release

RETURN2GREEN VISITS EJURA MAIZE FARMS IN EFFORT TO ENHANCE FARMER INCOMES AND REDUCE TONS OF CO2 BEING CREATED BY BURNING OF AGRICULTURAL WASTE

Ms. Lily He, President of Return2Green International, visited expansive maize farms in Ejura, the largest maize producing district in Ashanti, with officials from The Ministry of Food and Agricultural. The purpose of the visit was to gain cooperation with the Farmer’s Association for a public and private investment program in which agricultural waste from
the farms is collected for use as Distributed Energy Fuel and raw materials for MZ-3 flower pots.

By collecting the agro-waste for alternative uses; as opposed to burning it, thousands of tons of CO2 per year that harm the environment will be eliminated. Additionally, thousands of hours of paid working time for farmers at the manufacturing plants will be created, thus adding to their economic and social status.

The program which is still in the development stages is intended to be spread around the entire country creating substantial positive effects for thousands of Ghanaians.

D.LIGHT Receives UNFCCC Approval for Ground-Breaking Carbon Offset Project

D.LIGHT RECEIVES United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) APPROVAL FOR GROUND-BREAKING CARBON OFFSET PROJECT

Approval Marks One of the First Times Portable Solar Lanterns Will Generate Carbon Credits

New Delhi, India - D.light Design today announced that it has received approval from the UNFCCC for a ground-breaking carbon offset project in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in India. The project, which innovatively tracks the reduction in carbon emissions that result from D.light solar lamps replacing kerosene lanterns, is the first of its kind to receive UNFCCC approval. The decision by the UN body, the only organization with a global mandate to evaluate the effectiveness of emission control systems, acknowledges the extent to which portable solar lighting products can contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions on a global scale.

Kerosene and other fuel-based sources of lighting are one of the top contributors to greenhouse gas emissions in the developing world. It is estimated that a single kerosene lantern may emit as much as 1 ton of carbon dioxide over the course of five years; each year, kerosene lamps are responsible for over 100 tons of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere.

“D.light’s solar lanterns vastly improve the lives of our individual customers, but they also benefit the global environment,” said D.light CEO Sam Goldman. “Every D.light solar lantern purchased means that less kerosene oil is being burned and fewer carbon emissions are polluting the atmosphere. D.light is proud to be a leader in providing quality products for off-grid families and in doing our part to combat global warming.”

UNFCCC approval is only given to applicants who meet a set of strict requirements, including definitively proving that the project contributes to carbon reductions and developing a scientifically reliable monitoring and tracking system. A majority of previous solar projects approved by the UNFCCC have primarily consisted of solar farms or other fixed, large-scale solar PV (photovoltaic) systems, which makes tracking carbon offsets fairly simple.

In contrast, D.light solar lanterns are individually utilized by hundreds of thousands of different households who regularly transport the lanterns between the home, workplace and field. As part of meeting UNFCCC requirements, D.light is pioneering an innovative monitoring and tracking system that will change the way carbon offsets are measured. The streamlined monitoring process will allow D.light to scale the project quickly across diverse distribution channels and geographic regions.

True to its social mission, D.light considers the carbon offset project as a creative strategy to make its solar-powered lanterns more affordable and accessible for customers around the world. All revenue from the resulting carbon credits will directly support D.light’s efforts to scale and meet the global need for solar-powered lighting for families who are currently relying on dim and polluting kerosene lanterns.

This impact should grow exponentially in the coming years. Even as implementation in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar begins, D.light is already taking steps to expand the project to other countries across multiple continents in the near future.

About D.light Design

D.light Design is an international consumer products company providing high quality solutions for people without access to reliable electricity. Our mission is to enable
households without reliable electricity to attain the same quality of life as those with electricity. We will begin by replacing every kerosene lantern with clean, safe and bright light. By 2020, we aim to have improved the lives of 100 million individuals.

D.light was recently awarded the Social Venture Network’s 2009 Innovation Award, and named as one of the world’s top 100 clean technology enterprises by the CleanTech Group. It has also been featured in Fortune Magazine, Time Magazine, BusinessWeek, and the New York Times. It is financed by prestigious venture capital firms including Nexus Venture Partners, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Garage Technology Ventures, the Mahindra Group; with investment from leading social enterprise funds Acumen Fund and Gray Matters Capital. To learn more, please visit their site.

Article Courtesy of Got2BGreen: http://www.got2begreen.com/green-infrastructure/dlight-receives-unfccc-approval-for-ground-breaking-carbon-offset-project/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Got2begreen+%28Got2BeGreen%29

"Green" Vacations And Destinations

4 Great "Green" Vacation Destinations

* Galapagos Islands: Great destination situated 600 miles west of Ecuador in the Pacific; you can discover the very natural islands.

* Chattanooga: A walk-able and bike-friendly city; very eco-oriented, with local markets

* Car-Free Islands: Dry Tortugas National Park: No cars, no pollution, and you can learn about the eco-environment; Eco travel lodgings and campgrounds available

* Burlington, Vt.: Most sustainable city in America.

Galapagos Islands -- about $1500/week: This is a place with a very fragile eco-system. It's a true global treasure, with wildlife species that have been there for hundreds of years and beyond. Real untouched places. When you're there, you can take a trip around the island and get up close and personal with the environment. One of the last great, wild places.

Chattanooga, Tenn.: Memphis loves to sing them blues, but in Chattanooga, the tune is "Go Green." The river town has come a long way since being designated America's most polluted city in 1969. Today, 22 miles of once inaccessible riverfront have been reclaimed for public use, and revitalization projects have made the city a model eco town and tourist hotspot.

Car-Free Islands: Take a break from the traffic, pollution, and gas prices and visit one of the handful of U.S car-free islands, including Dry Tortugas National Park. Some 70 miles west of Key West lies a cluster of seven islands, composed of coral reefs and sand, called the Dry Tortugas. Along with the surrounding shoals and waters, they make up Dry Tortugas National Park. The area is known for its famous bird and marine life, its legends of pirates and sunken gold, and its military past.

Burlington, Vt.: In this small city on Lake Champlain, community pride and responsibility drive the urge to be green. More than a-third of the energy used in the city comes from renewable resources, an impressive statistic in chilly New England. Burlington laws don't allow the use of pesticides on public parks, land or waterways. Challenged by their local leaders to come up with environmental priorities and solutions to existing problems, residents formed an extensive network of citizen-based groups that take on everything from environmental programs to cleaning up toxic sites to watchdog groups monitoring pollution in the lake. With local agriculture a mainstay, schools are switching to locally- and organically-grown foods. The idea of sustainability is becoming part of the school curriculum so, as Burlington's children grow and take their places in the community -- any community -- they can take a greener way of thinking along with them.

CONSIDER A CARBON OFFSET

This is a way to stay green as you go to green places!

Through a number of companies, tour operators and airlines, you can purchase an "offset" to compensate for the eco-impact of your travel. A number of companies now offer the service, usually providing mileage calculators on their Web sites to help you gauge your emissions. In effect, you are purchasing activities that are calculated to remove as much CO2 from the air as you contributed through your travel. This is accomplished by funding solar and wind energy, supporting tree plantings, etc.

For example: Travelocity is the first major online travel company to enable customers to purchase "carbon offsets" during the checkout process when they buy travel, as an add-on to your purchase during check out. A contribution of $10 offsets an average trip including air travel, a one-night hotel stay, and rental car for one person; $25 negates air travel, four-night hotel stay, and rental car for two people; and $40 equalizes the effects of air travel, four-night hotel stay, and rental car for four people. Travelocity then gives the carbon offset funds to The Conservation Fund's carbon offset program, "Go Zero."

LOOK FOR THE ECO SEALS OF APPROVAL

To help travelers evaluate their travel choices, from bungalows to beaches, there are now "green" certification programs that rate environmental and social impacts of hotels and other tourism businesses. They help travelers make responsible choices. These include "Green Key," an eco-label awarded to hotels, hostels and restaurants that have met environmental standards. Or "Blue Flag," an exclusive eco-label awarded to more than 3,300 beaches and marinas that have met strict criteria dealing with issues of water quality and conservation.

ONCE YOU'RE THERE, PLEASE REMEMBER:

BYOB: Bring Your Own Bottle: To avoid waste and adding plastic bottles to landfills, travel with your own refillable water bottle, or a bottle and portable filter for international destinations. A great way to reduce your waste footprint. (Rubbermaid makes a reusable water bottle with built in filter to remove chlorine and odors).

Portable Solar Chargers include the Solio Charger, Hymini Charger, Solar backpacks, Zegna Sport Solar Jacket. You have lots of options for clean portable power.

And bring the 'good' green habits you may already have at home! The little things you can do to conserve energy and reduce your impact such as re-using hotel towels and sheets Hang up your towels and request that the hospitality staff don't change the sheets -- it saves water and reduces energy and chemical usage. Use water sparingly -- it's very precious in many countries and tourists tend to use far more than local people. Take local transportation. And look for organic food and products.

Courtesy of CBSNews.com and Plenty magazine Editor Jessica Tzerman