Walk the Talk: Costa Del Mar Sunglasses Invests in Renewable Energy to Offset Carbon...

Walk the Talk: Costa Del Mar Sunglasses Invests in Renewable Energy to Offset
Carbon Footprint

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., June 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Costa Del Mar sunglasses has
partnered with Renewable Choice Energy to offset 100 percent of the
electricity use at its Daytona Beach headquarters facility with the purchase
of 422,896 kilowatt hours (kWh) of renewable energy credits (RECs) from U.S.
wind farms. The company also purchased carbon offsets to balance the carbon
emissions associated with all of its employees' business travel including air
and ground transportation. Collectively, this will help to prevent up to 1.1
million pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from entering the Earth's
atmosphere.

This commitment by Costa Del Mar to support renewable energy development and
reduce carbon emissions has an impact similar to planting 2,323 mature trees
or not driving more than 576,088 million miles in an average passenger car.

And while Costa Del Mar still operates its headquarters using traditional
electricity sources, the purchase of wind-powered renewable energy credits and
carbon offsets essentially balances its corporate environmental impact.
Renewable energy is derived from resources that are regenerative, or for all
practical purposes can not be depleted. Renewable energy sources include wind,
solar (photovoltaic), small hydro and biomass.

"What a lot of people may not know is that carbon emissions can also
negatively impact the quality of our oceans," said Chas MacDonald, president
of Costa Del Mar. "We're working hard to protect our aquatic environments and
the marine life in it. Purchasing renewable energy credits and making strides
to reduce our carbon footprint is another critical step for us to take to help
make our waters more clean and sustainable for generations to come."

"RECs play an important role in helping fund renewable energy projects," said
Quayle Hodek, CEO of Renewable Choice Energy. "Environmentally responsible
commitments such as the one made by Costa Del Mar is helping elevate the
public's awareness of the opportunities available to them to support clean
technology development."

In addition to Costa's partnership with Renewable Choice, the company has a
long history of supporting conservation programs, including actively
participating in Trout Unlimited's "Embrace-A-Stream" program and the Billfish
Foundation's "Adopt-A-Billfish" effort. The company sponsors the Costa Del
Mar/BASS Conservation Scholarship Award, designed for higher education
students pursuing degrees in natural resources fields. Costa also supports
the Coastal Conservation Association, the Bonefish Tarpon Trust, and is a
longtime sponsor of the International Game Fish Association (IGFA).

"For us, it's not just about writing a check and slapping our logo onto
something to say we're involved with a conservation project," said MacDonald.
"It's about turning those words into actions, and doing things within our own
organization that might reduce the impact of our presence here."

Costa will continue to work with Renewable Choice to identify ways in which
the company can further reduce its impact on the environment.

How Renewable Energy Credit (RECs) Work
Renewable energy facilities generate renewable energy credits (RECs) when they
produce electricity. Purchasing these credits is the widely accepted way to
address the environmental footprint of your electricity consumption.
Purchasing RECs at the same quantity as your electricity consumption
guarantees that the energy you use is added to the power grid from a renewable
energy facility and supports the further development of these facilities.
Renewable Choice RECs are third-party certified by Green-e Energy. More at
http://www.renewablechoice.com/business-about-renewable-energy.html

How Carbon Offsets (VERs) Work
Verified emission reductions (VERs), also known as carbon offsets, are
designed for individuals and companies looking to reduce the environmental
impact of their flying, driving, and some heating and manufacturing methods
with real, verified and permanent carbon reductions. A VER is a commodity
sold to finance carbon reduction projects, such as landfill methane capture
and destruction, and represents the reduction of carbon dioxide or its
equivalent. Renewable Choice VERs are verified by American Carbon Registry or
Voluntary Carbon Standard, depending on location and application. More at
http://www.renewablechoice.com/business-about-emission-reductions-carbon-offsets.html

Renewable Choice Energy
Renewable Choice Energy (http://www.renewablechoice.com) is a leading national
provider of renewable energy credits (RECs) and verified emission reductions
(VERs) (carbon offsets) to hundreds of Fortune 500 Companies and small
businesses, thousands of residential customers, and over 850 LEED green
building projects in the U.S. Founded in 2001, Boulder-Colo.-based Renewable
Choice and its clients have received prestigious awards from the EPA and DOE
for supporting and expanding the renewable energy market and have been
featured in hundreds of media outlets including The New York Times, Wall
Street Journal, CNN, USA TODAY, and more.
(http://www.renewablechoice.com/business)

About Costa Del Mar
As the leading manufacturer of the world's most clear polarized performance
sunglasses, Costa Del Mar offers superior lens technology, unparalleled fit
and durability, and a lifetime warranty on all of its products. Still
handcrafted today in Florida, Costa Del Mar creates what has been referred to
as the highest quality, best performing sunglasses on the planet for outdoor
enthusiasts.

The company was founded on protecting the marine environment worldwide and
educating others to understand the importance of conservation. Costa Del Mar
sponsors a number of epic outdoor adventures around the world, encouraging
others to see what's out there.

For more information, contact 1-800-447-3700 or visit the company's Web site
at www.costadelmar.com, or check out Costa Del Mar's original adventure
programming at Costa Channel C, www.costachannelc.com.

SOURCE Costa Del Mar

Liza Jones, +1-864-270-0722, liza@paynejonespr.com