The Kodak Gallery Pro Cycling Team presented by Sierra Nevada Brewing Company made a major commitment to environmental sustainability for the 2007 season by offsetting 100 percent of the carbon pollution that their team creates by purchasing 460,600 kWh of renewable energy credits (RECs). According to the team website, not only have enough RECs been purchased to offset all of the pollution generated by domestic team support vehicles operating in approximately 120 days of bicycle racing in the 2007 season, but their efforts also include the offset of "100 percent of the home electricity consumption of each of its athletes and management, as well as all of the team?s travel emissions."
To help highlight the significance of this initiative, statistics provided by The U.S. Department of Energy confirm that 460,600 kWh of RECs is equal to the following: "planting 8,460 trees, not driving 669,950 miles, or preventing the burning of 344,340 pounds of coal." This progressive step towards sustainability and independence from fossil fuel is noteworthy amongst the general public, let alone the cycling industry.
