WORLD’S FIRST CARBON-NEUTRAL RETAIL PRODUCT

TerraPass to offer ‘carbon neutral’ pressure washer
Sarah Jane Tribble, January 22, 2007 (San Jose Mercury News)
- …TerraPass announced today that a pressure washer offering consumers a way to become more ``carbon neutral'' will be sold at Sam's Clubs nationwide by the end of this month…

- The pressure washers, built by Karcher USA, are the first retail products in the U.S. to be marketed as carbon neutral, according to TerraPass.
- A ``very small'' amount of each pressure washer's $499 price-tag will go to TerraPass to fund projects such as wind farms…The money also will offset the 285 lbs. of greenhouse gas pollution produced by the washer over two years…
- Opponents of the movement argue that such carbon neutral programs just make it easier for some consumers to pay off the guilt of using power hungry products, instead of becoming more energy efficient.

- The pressure washer will feature special packaging to highlight its environmental benefits to customers, and comes with a booklet recommending 10 energy-saving home projects…if the pressure washer sells well during a 12-month test period, Sam's Club will extend the program to other products, particularly those that use gasoline.
- As concern grows about the effects of global warming, companies like PG&E, Ford and Expedia have started offering their customers ways to pay down on the amount of carbon produced from their home energy use, daily commute or airline travel.
- Web sites such as nativeenergy.com, climatetrust.org and terrapass.com are growing in popularity as a way for consumers to calculate their daily carbon output and pay to offset it.