Yes, its possible to be carbon neutral in a gasser. How? Simply purchase your new Ford from Simi Valley Ford and they will purchase the carbon offsets to make you carbon neutral for the first 2 years of driving. The program runs now through April 22, 2013 which happens to be Earth Day.
Simi Valley Ford partnered with Waste Management and the folks at Carbonfund.org to make it happen. What they do is when you purchase your new Ford from them they purchase offsets representing the estimated Carbon emissions of the car for 2 years at an average of 12,000 miles/year. Nothing is needed on your part to get the deal. It happens automatically with each new purchase starting with the Fiesta working its way all the way up to the huge heavy duty F-250. After the purchase is complete the buyer receives a tonnage certificate from Carbonfund.org.
According to Mike Shell at Simi Valley Ford, “We have always been concerned for the planet and have been working towards solutions at the dealership. We were looking for a vehicle to involve the customer sales and relationship on putting the brakes on climate change and came up with this idea”.
Since the program rolled out on February 1 of this year they have offset over 1,000,000 pounds of carbon. Mike Shell explained that the cost isn’t large for the dealer, about $100 and doesn’t affect the deal the customer makes at the time of purchase. To achieve these numbers one only has to look at the average car that emits 5 tons/year, 1o/tons years, and it adds up fast.
In our conversation Mike said that “If we take the first steps others will follow and leave a legacy for our dealership. Ford was excited about the program and is looking to sign on another 500 dealers next year. Its the start of something bigger. It could eventually involve other brands”.
Carbonfund.org does many projects from as simple as planting trees to working on renewable energy sources. They even have a nifty web page with information about what you as an individual can do to about your contribution to the carbon emissions. They even have a nifty calculator to estimate your carbon footprint each year. The link for individuals is HERE.
Now if I had known about this offset when I bought my new Focus I would have made the trek from my valley to theirs. Its that great of a program.
You can learn more about Simi Valley Ford at their Web Site, which also has a nifty inventory search function so you can find the new Ford that matches your needs to take advantage of this program. They also have a page dedicated to the Drive to Save the Environment campaign.
To read the full press release make the jump! Continue reading →
