Wood Turner is the director of Climate Counts. Estimates suggest there are upwards of 300,000 fast food restaurants in the United States, one for approximately every 101 Americans. My guess is that the actual number of restaurants changes rapidly. In a world with “billions and billions served,” how could we be more precise than “thousands and thousands serving”? That’s not to mention franchises popping up of every shape and size and even the specter of venerable institutions in the industry being absorbed by yesterday’s also-rans and what that will mean for consumers. In a general sense, we know what fast food means for American consumers. Quite simply, it’s convenience and affordability. In a culture perpetually on the run, who has time to cook balanced, natural meals at home? And with gas prizes pounding the wallets of families in “forced marriages” with their cars (as Colin Beavan of the blog No Impact Man says), who wants to spend more than a few bucks on something as important as food? Our self-imposed rat-race has driven millions of us into the waiting arms of the highly profitable fast-food industry.(more...)

Greetings from Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC)! My name is Kartik Sribarra, manager of policy outreach for RTC. I’m extremely excited to be participating in Climate Ride. I’ve been cycling regularly for five or six years now, and have always loved walking to get where I was going, avoiding the need to burn oil in the process. I’m honored to work for an organization that has such a strong history of embracing, encouraging and advocating for “active transportation” — walking and biking. I truly believe in Climate Ride’s mission, and am excited to represent RTC on the ride in September. It’s not hyperbole to claim that climate change may pose a threat to humanity, the likes of which we have never known. If left unchecked, climate change has the potential to cause extraordinary harm around the world. Scientists believe that climate change can increase the frequency and severity of natural events like floods, hurricanes and tornados. In spite of all of this doom and gloom, such enormous threats present equally great opportunities. Climate change has galvanized Americans, from the individual to the highest levels of our government, from nonprofit organizations to some of America’s largest businesses. Rarely does an issue come about that garners such universal support. But it’s not just about organizations; it’s also about individuals. One thing I appreciate about the fight against climate change — something that RTC actively promotes — is the role everyone can play in addressing it. By making the very simple (and fun!) choice to walk or bike to get where we’re going, we’re able to fight climate change. To that end, RTC encourages everyone to take the Burn Calories, Not Carbon!^TM pledge. The pledge encourages participants to change the way they travel, committing to walk and bike more and drive less. These personal commitments have many positive impacts on climate change:(more...)

The Brita Climate Ride is a five day bike tour from New York City to Washington D.C. to promote solutions to global warming. But it is also much more. The ride is a fundraiser for the non-profits Clean Air – Cool Planet and Focus the Nation. Clean Air – Cool Planet works with cities, campuses, and businesses to reduce greenhouse gas pollution. Focus the Nation partners with legislators and colleges across the country, and recently staged the largest national teach-in in history. Both organizations understand the urgency of the problem, and our need for immediate action. Our riders will support these non-profits by asking their friends, family, neighbors, and themselves to donate. Each rider will raise $2,250. The ride is also a scenic five-day bike tour that will challenge and reward our riders. From September 20th to 24th, our riders will cover 320 miles, pushing themselves to show what is possible on bicycles. We at the Brita Climate Ride are thrilled how scenic our route is. There are excellent low-traffic roads linking our nation’s largest city and our nation’s capital. The route passes through rural New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maryland, passing through wooded rolling hills, equine estates, and the pastoral scenes of Amish country. (more...)

Wood Turner is the Project Director of Climate Counts Consumer climate action isn’t just about switching to compact fluorescent lightbulbs or buying recycled. While people across the country are taking action to reduce their own carbon footprint, some consumers are using their power to push companies to take action themselves - and it’s paying off. In early May, Climate Counts released its second annual Climate Counts Company Scorecard. We launched our Scorecard last year with the hope that creating a simple, easy-to-understand ranking of companies would motivate both companies and consumers to step-up their efforts on climate change. We applaud the work of companies that are taking a leadership role in creating products that help our marketplace and our society as a whole become more accountable for the impact they have on global climate change. With the release of the second Climate Counts Company Scorecard, we can report that many well-known companies have embraced a leadership role on corporate carbon management, not only through the development of products that reduce the carbon footprint of those who use them, but also through companywide accounting of the greenhouse gas emissions that occur during design, development, production, and distribution of those products. Companies that recognize the impact of their products AND the impact of their operations are both connecting the strategic dots for their organizations and modeling the kind of climate action that consumers should be following. The new Climate Counts Company Scorecard shows a real shift towards greater climate commitment across most industry sectors — with 84% of scored companies improving their Climate Counts scores. Looking at the companies that showed the most improvement—Google, Levi Strauss and Anheuser-Busch—shows the diverse kinds of great American companies committed to paying attention to global climate change. Of course, it also tells us which companies and sectors are still not taking it as seriously as they should be. (Click here to download our pocket shopping guide.) But let’s go back to how and why companies like this can truly lead consumers on a pathway toward real sustainability. When we developed our 22-criteria scorecard, we consulted academics and NGO experts who agreed that the climate metrics, or key performance indicators, that make up our scorecard were not only appropriate for measuring company climate performance but also represented a strong “transit” map for climate-conscious companies seeking a set of standards to drive their future climate action and innovation. Our evaluation of company climate action focuses on four key metrics, specifically whether companies have: Consumer climate action isn’t just about switching to compact fluorescent lightbulbs or buying recycled. While people across the country are taking action to reduce their own carbon footprint, some consumers are using their power to push companies to take action themselves - and it’s paying off. In early May, Climate Counts (www.climatecounts.org) released its second annual Climate Counts Company Scorecard. We launched our Scorecard last year with the hope that creating a simple, easy-to-understand ranking of companies would motivate both companies and consumers to step-up their efforts on climate change. We applaud the work of companies that are taking a leadership role in creating products that help our marketplace and our society as a whole become more accountable for the impact they have on global climate change.(more...)