Outdoor Retailer Follows Moral Compass

Carbon emissions are causing the Earth’s climate to change in ways that are potentially causing damage to both us and the planet. Chris Smith of SmithsOutdoors.com has formed an association with the World Land Trust to donate a portion of profit to them on every item sold. The World Land Trust is an international conservation charity that has helped purchase and protects over 350,000 acres of rainforest and other threatened wildlife habitats worldwide.

Chris Smith says: ‘I was on holiday in Tunisia last year and for several days it was impossible to sit by the pool because it was so hot. I asked one of the local entertainment team if this was normal and they replied that it was only over the last two or three years that they had known temperatures so hot.’ He added: ‘I realised then that the global warming issue was really happening and I had to look at ways of helping tackle the problem.’

One of the ethical problems Chris Smith had with buying on-line is the CO2 that is produced when delivering the product to the customer. So he decided when setting up his own web site to look at ways to off-set delivery carbon emissions.

SmithsOutdoors contacted several conservation charities and after discussions teamed up with the World Land Trust who came up with a realistic method of working out the donation calculation. Chris Smith says ‘The process is straight forward. When our online visitors make a purchase from our site, the delivery mileage between our depot and the customer's address is recorded and a carbon offset calculation made. At the end of each quarter we donate funds to cover the offset costs to the World Land Trust who use it to support projects restoring degraded habitat in Ecuador and Mexico.’ He added ‘With climate change representing one of the biggest challenges of the 21st century, we all need to play a part in becoming more environmentally responsible’.

John Burton, Chief Executive of World Land Trust says: ‘We are delighted to welcome Smithsoutdoors.com to the growing number of companies who wish to assess, reduce and offset their CO2 emissions. The method we use to offset carbon emissions through restoration ecology helps slow down the effects of climate change while also providing a safe haven for thousands of threatened species of flora and fauna.’

Temperatures are increasing and whilst some may see this as a good thing the real meaning of this needs to be put into perspective. Seasons are becoming warmer, with 2007 providing an unusually warm April which saw us equalling the hottest London marathon on record (which also coincided with Earth Day which promotes awareness of climate change).
Carbon emissions are a global not localized problem and Smith says: “We owe it to ourselves and future generations to preserve our increasingly endangered habitats worldwide.”

For more details of products available and to find out more about the World Land Trust go to http://www.smithsoutdoors.com