Climate Action

EARTH DAY NETWORK LAUNCHES BILLION ACTS OF GREEN® SMART CAR SWEEPSTAKES, THE NEXT STEP IN CAUSE-BASED SOCIAL CONTESTS

For Immediate Release November 10, 2010 Washington, DC (November 10, 2010) – Earth Day Network, the nonprofit organization that coordinates Earth Day globally, has announced the launch of its Billion Acts of Green® smart car sweepstakes, one of the first online contests to ask entrants to use social media to inspire their communities to environmental activism. “This ingenious sweepstakes is a terrific kick-off for our 2011 Earth Day campaign, A Billion Acts of Green®,” said Kathleen Rogers, president of Earth Day Network, which generates a wide range of environmental education and policy initiatives year-round. “Unlike other contests that simply invite entrants to broadcast their participation via Facebook and Twitter after they have entered, we have incorporated that act into the contest itself. We aren’t just incentivizing participation—we are incentivizing activism and service.” She noted that non-social media users are also eligible by sharing their Act of Green to EDN via email or mail. EDN is giving away the two smart fortwo cars, which were donated by SCA, a global hygiene products and paper company and leader in sustainability, to encourage fuel-efficient automobile travel. The smart fortwo is the most fuel-efficient, non-hybrid, gasoline-powered car in the U.S., according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2010 Fuel Economy Guide (http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/FEG2010.pdf). Furthermore, the smart fortwo is completely recyclable, from its dashboards to exterior door panels. The contest will run through December 31, 2010, with prizewinners selected in a random drawing of entries on January 10, 2011. More details are available at archiveedn.wpengine.com/act. About Earth Day Network: Earth Day Network was founded on the premise that all people, regardless of race, gender, income, or geography, have a moral right to a healthy, sustainable environment. Our mission is to broaden and diversify the environmental movement worldwide, and to mobilize it as the most effective vehicle for promoting a healthy, sustainable environment. We pursue our mission through a combination of education, public policy, and consumer activism campaigns.  Earth Day Network’s campaigns and programs are predicated on the belief that an educated, energized population will take action to secure a healthy future for itself and its children. The organization has a global reach with a network of more than 22,000 partners and organizations in 190 countries. Earth Day Network is a 501(c)3 organization located in Washington, D.C. About SCA: SCA has been ranked among the top 100 most sustainable and most ethical companies for the past several years. With a rich history in forest products, SCA is the largest owner of private forests in Europe, which annually offset all of the CO2 from the company’s production processes. SCA is recognized for its responsible management of its FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified forests, and plants three new trees for every tree it fells. For more information on SCA’s environmental efforts, visit www.sca.com/en/Sustainability/ For more information, contact: Lisa Swann, EDN vice president of communications, on 202-518-0044, x14, or [email protected] Mary Shaughnessy, Vice President, Group Account Director, Cramer-Krasselt P: 312.616.2613 F: 312.233.8512 C: 312.218.4508, [email protected]