Pop!Tech 2006 Goes “Carbon Negative”

Annual Thought Leadership Gathering Partners With Solar Electric Light Fund
In Innovative Program to Offset Twice the Carbon Emissions of its 2006 Participants

CAMDEN, Maine, Oct. 30, 2006 – Pop!Tech (poptech.org) the eminent thought-leadership conference, today announced a partnership with the Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF / self.org) on an initiative that will make the 2006 conference not just ‘carbon neutral,’ but ‘carbon negative’.

With the financial assistance of corporate sponsor Lexus, Pop!Tech is investing in SELF’s rural solar-electrification projects, which replace high-polluting diesel generators with zero-emissions solar generators in villages in Benin, Africa. Pop!Tech’s investment in the project will ensure an offset of more than twice the total carbon emissions, inclusive of flights, ground transportation and lodging of all 530 Pop!Tech conference participants. Lexus hybrid vehicles were also used extensively throughout Pop!Tech 2006, further reducing the conference’s carbon footprint.

“Pop!Tech’s community of corporate leaders, scientists, educators, media, and other thought leaders are committed to exploring new ways to act on important global issues, and we hope others will be inspired by this small step,” said Andrew Zolli, Pop!Tech’s Curator. “Organizations like the Solar Electric Light Fund provide innovative ways for us to take symbolic action to not only curb, but reverse carbon emissions.”

 “Solar electrification brings a host of benefits in addition to offsetting greenhouse gas emissions” added Robert Freling, Executive Director of the Solar Electic Light Fund. “Distributed solar generation allows us to simultaneously tackle health, education, economic development and a host of other social challenges in some of the world’s poorest communities. Pop!Tech’s investment in SELF will be amplified many times.” 

About Pop!Tech

Held annually since 1997 in the seaside village of Camden, Maine, Pop!Tech is a one-of-a-kind conference, a community of remarkable people, and an ongoing conversation about science, technology and the future of ideas. The conference is the  signature event of the Pop!Tech Institute, a non-profit organization focused on uniting the world's most prominent thought leaders to network, share knowledge, and discuss the effects of technology on society. The conference's roster of speakers and its unique format have earned international acclaim. For more information, see www.poptech.org.

About the Solar Electric Light Fund

The Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF) helps rural, off-grid people in developing countries power a brighter future through clean, renewable energy and modern communications. SELF's projects are shaped by local priorities and led by local people - often women - and address critical needs in homes, schools, clinics, agriculture, and microenterprise. Formed in 1990, SELF has mounted high-impact projects in thirteen developing nations. Its efforts and those of its project partners have earned honors including the Green Cross Millennium and Energy Globe Awards, and notice in diverse publications including The New York Times, Foreign Affairs, Strategy + Business, WorldWatch, The Futurist, and Science et Vie, as well as stories on CNN, CBS Radio, and NPR. Learn more at www.self.org.

About Lexus

Lexus has become synonymous with luxury since its introduction in 1989.  By offering some of the finest quality luxury vehicles and providing benchmark customer service, Lexus has remained the top-selling luxury nameplate in the United States for six years in a row.   Lexus is currently the only manufacturer of luxury hybrid vehicles. Introduced in 2005, the RX 400h SUV is the world's first luxury hybrid and the GS 450h, introduced in Spring of 2006, is the world's first luxury hybrid performance sedan.

Contacts:

Lexus – Greg Thome, (310) 468-3279 or greg_thome@lexus.com