Press Kit

INTRODUCING ZEROFOOTPRINT

Zerofootprint provides information, products, and services to the global network of consumers and businesses that wish to reduce their environmental impact.

WHAT WE DO EVERY DAY

Zerofootprint is a not-for-profit organization focused on three main initiatives: our website, which is a portal for green products, events, and news, and which provides an opportunity for social networking; our offsets program, which helps people and businesses calculate their environmental footprints, and allows individuals to go climate-neutral on our online Carbon Shop and organizations to reduce their footprints through our innovative initiatives that provide bottom-line incentives to do the right thing; and our community-based renewable energy program, which removes the substantial financial hurdles facing people who want to deploy renewable energy in their homes and businesses.

Arching over these three initiatives is our commitment to education, which is manifested in our Kids’ Calculator, and our work to incubate sustainable businesses, like Zfp Energy, the revenues from which will support our not-for-profit work with the website, the calculator, the community energy projects, and our offsets program.

All this puts us at the hub of the most exciting political, cultural, and technological developments in the most dynamic and fast-changing field in our global civilization: the environment.

If you’re working on a story about any of these things, we’re happy to talk to you about them:

  • Is there a “green” economy?
  • Can we consume our way out of environmental trouble?
  • Where can I get news on green news, events, and products?
  • Where can I meet others who share my concern for the environment?
  • How can we cut our greenhouse gas emissions?
  • How can I become carbon-neutral?
  • What is the best way to put a price on carbon dioxide pollution?
  • How can Zerofootprint help businesses?
  • What is offsetting? How does it work? Does it work?
  • What is the best renewable energy solution for me?
  • How can we reduce peak summertime demand on our brittle electrical grid?

We’re happy to talk about any of these things, and to answer questions whenever climate change is in the news, whether it’s political battles over Kyoto, scientific news about melting ice caps, or cultural shifts like new spending habits or the emergence of environmentalism as “the new black.”

If you’d like to talk about the environment, offsets, sustainability, global warming, energy policy, or ecological footprints, please call Deborah Kaplan or Nick Massey-Garrison at 416.365.7557.

QUOTES

  1. It wasn’t that long ago that Zerofootprint founder Ron Dembo spoke at a preview screening of Al Gore’s ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ to Toronto audiences. It seems only fitting that the former Vice President and now, a Nobel Peace Prize nominee would offset his carbon emissions through Zerofootprint.”
    – ZFP Executive Director Deborah Kaplan on the February 2007 Al Gore visit to Toronto.
  2. The whole point of offsetting is to divert money and resources into technology and programs that will help solve the problem of global warming. It’s not just about cleaning up carbon in the atmosphere. It’s also about preventing it by raising awareness and assigning a cost to something people might otherwise not think about. The sooner we start thinking about the cost of the carbon we emit, the sooner we’ll all be able to do something about it.”
    - Deborah Kaplan, Executive Director of Zerofootprint.
  3. Roots has always been connected to nature and the great outdoors including being active, healthy and socially aware. In addition to showcasing and selling our products, we also see this store as sending a positive message to our customers about how being green is not a sacrifice but is about change and evolution and a way of thinking.”
    - Michael Budman, co-founder of ‘Roots’ on his involvement with Zerofootprint.
  4. It has always nagged away at me during elections campaigns about the tonnes of paper that get used. It is difficult to reach out to thousands of voters without flyers and signage. Recently, when I was campaigning at Jackman Public School, I was inspired by the children's enthusiasm for an environmental school project, The Jackman Learning Garden. Folks in my campaign had heard about Zerofootprint and we decided to give back by donating to support tree plantings and other green projects in the city.”
    - Trustee Candidate Gord Crann on his partnership with Zerofootprint.
  5. Zerofootprint doesn’t work in isolation—we’re only effective when we team up with like-minded companies, companies that recognize not only that they have a responsibility to the environment, but that their customers feel the same responsibility.”
    - Deborah Kaplan, Executive Director of Zerofootprint.
  6. Our organization recognizes the impact that the arts can and does have on the environment. The ecological impact in staging festivals such as the IFOA cannot be ignored, and we are pleased to partner with Zerofootprint in an effort to reduce our impact on the planet.”
    - Geoffrey E. Taylor, director of International Readings on working with Zerofootprint.
  7. We are thrilled to be the first consumer product to carry the Zerofootprint™ seal. For companies like ours committed to eco-capitalism, it is important to have an outside entity that can confirm the claims you make for your product and process.”
    - Tom Szaky, founder and CEO of TerraCycle
  8. We’re very excited to be working more closely with Zerofootprint to build on the many synergies between the two organizations. Our goal is to provide holistic sustainable energy solutions that bring greatest value to consumers, and that will have a positive long-term impact in reducing our ecological footprint.”
    – Solera President Leonard Allen