Sustainable Travel

Airline Enhances its Commitment to Sustainability

Today’s closing (at 5 p.m. Central time) of the sale of Midwest Air Group, Inc., parent company of Midwest Airlines, to Midwest Air Partners, LLC, an affiliate of TPG Capital, is the start of a new era for “The best care in the air,” according to Timothy E. Hoeksema, chairman and chief executive officer since the airline took to the skies in 1984.

“We’re looking forward to capitalizing on TPG’s considerable experience in the airline industry to help us continue to meet – and exceed – the expectations of the traveling public,” said Hoeksema. TPG’s 15-year record of investing in the aviation industry includes Continental Airlines, America West, Ryanair, Hotwire.com, Gate Gourmet, Sabre and other well-respected brands.

Hoeksema said Midwest would benefit from TPG’s strength and expertise as the airline executes its comprehensive strategic plan. In 2008, that includes the implementation of seating choice throughout the airline’s mainline fleet; growth and enhancement of its existing codeshare agreement with Northwest Airlines; and the introduction of a wide-ranging environmental initiative that the airline has named “The best care for the air.”sm

The environmental initiative will build on the TPG companies’ long-standing environmental stewardship and Midwest’s track record of environmentally conscious decision-making. Over the last five years, Midwest has reduced its carbon emissions rate more than 20% through fuel-conservation efforts that include:
• Replacement of its DC-9 aircraft fleet with new, fuel-efficient Boeing 717 aircraft.
• Full-scale use of electric ground power and preconditioned air units at its Milwaukee hub.
• Increased implementation of single-engine taxiing, along with improved aircraft flight control surface rigging and trim, reduced aircraft weight and minimized aircraft idle time.
• Increased use of aircraft pushback tractors and electric-powered ground support vehicles.

As part of the initiative, Midwest will partner with Boulder, Colo.-based Sustainable Travel International to offer travelers environmentally responsible travel planning choices – including a carbon-offset program. Additional details will be announced as the program is rolled out during 2008.

“We are proud to support this venture given Midwest’s commitment to energy efficiency and the TPG companies’ long-standing environmental stewardship,” explained Brian T. Mullis, president of Sustainable Travel International. “We are looking forward to helping Midwest and their customers to protect the environment by enhancing the company’s sustainability initiatives.”

In terms of the transaction, Hoeksema pledged that the airline’s commitment to providing outstanding customer service would also continue under the new ownership structure. The acquisition by TPG will preserve Midwest as Milwaukee’s hometown airline and the popular Midwest brand – known for its comfortable seating, high level of customer service and baked-onboard chocolate chip cookies.

“We’re excited to partner with TPG,” Hoeksema said. “The management of TPG genuinely shares our dedication to quality, and respects our brand and what we’ve achieved. They’ve expressed confidence in our business plans, leadership and employees.”

Richard P. Schifter, partner, TPG Capital, added, “We at TPG are very enthusiastic about the future of Midwest. We see significant value in Midwest’s rich legacy as a leading provider of customer-oriented air service – and that’s why we are investing in Midwest. Our goal is to work with Midwest’s excellent management team and loyal workforce to look for opportunities to grow and enhance service for customers in the greater Milwaukee and Kansas City metropolitan areas and throughout the airline’s network.”

Additionally, Midwest will work with Northwest Airlines – a passive, minority investor in the new ownership structure – to enhance its existing codeshare partnership and to achieve cost synergies in areas such as aviation insurance and fuel purchases, especially important in light of the expected high cost of fuel in 2008.

“As we enter this new era for our airline, we’d like to take the opportunity to express our sincere thanks to our customers, the communities in which we do business, employees and former shareholders for their tremendous support,” said Hoeksema.

The airline will celebrate “A Dozen Thanks Day” on Tuesday, February 12. Midwest employees will hand out the airline’s popular chocolate chip cookies at Milwaukee’s General Mitchell International Airport and Kansas City International Airport. Members of the airline’s Midwest Miles program who fly that day will receive 1,200 bonus miles. And customers who receive the airline’s weekly fare special e-mails will receive a code that entitles them to a 12% discount on tickets purchased that day. (Visit http://www.midwestairlines.com to join the e-mail list.)

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Trading of Midwest Air Group stock on the American Stock Exchange concluded as of the close of trading today. Shareholders will be notified of the process to liquidate their holdings, which will vary depending on how the stock is held. Distribution of payouts will occur as soon as practicable.

About Sustainable Travel International
Sustainable Travel International (http://www.sustainabletravelinternational.org) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to promote sustainable development and responsible travel by providing programs that enable consumers, businesses and travel-related organizations to contribute to the environmental, socio-cultural and economic values of the places they visit, and the planet at large.

About TPG Capital
TPG Capital is the global buyout group of TPG, a leading private investment firm founded in 1992, with more than $35 billion of assets under management and offices in San Francisco, London, Hong Kong, New York, Minneapolis, Fort Worth, Melbourne, Menlo Park, Moscow, Mumbai, Shanghai, Singapore and Tokyo. TPG Capital has extensive experience with global public and private investments executed through leveraged buyouts, recapitalizations, spinouts, joint ventures and restructurings. TPG Capital’s investments span a variety of industries including travel, technology, retail/consumer, media and communications, industrials, financial services and healthcare. Please visit http://www.tpg.com.

About Midwest Airlines
Midwest Airlines features jet service throughout the United States, including Milwaukee’s most daily nonstop flights and best schedule to major destinations. Catering to business travelers and discerning leisure travelers, the airline earned its reputation as “The best care in the air” by providing passengers with impeccable service and onboard amenities at competitive fares. More information is available at http://www.midwestairlines.com.

Posted by BrianM at 3:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Oceana Observes 2008 as the “International Year of the Reef”

Oceana, the largest international organization dedicated solely to the protection of the world’s oceans, is encouraging people to help global efforts to save coral reefs and acknowledge 2008 as the International Year of the Reef (IYOR), as designated by the International Coral Reef Initiative.

“Protecting coral reefs is a key step in preventing ocean collapse and preserving a healthy ocean ecosystem for future generations,” said Andy Sharpless, CEO for Oceana. “Reefs face increasing dangers from pollution, coastal development, overfishing, global climate change and bottom trawling – which causes more direct and avoidable damage to the ocean floor than any other human activity in the world.”

Limiting and/or prohibiting bottom trawling in areas known or suspected to contain deep sea coral and sponge habitat continues to be a major goal for Oceana in 2008 Since the organization was founded in 2001, over one million square miles of sea floor have been protected from destructive trawling due to Oceana’s work.

To help raise awareness of IYOR, Oceana is reaching out to its 300,000 supporters to help corals by adopting practices found on IYOR’s website (http://iyor.org/resources/tips.asp), and supporting Oceana’s international coral protection work by donating or encouraging friends to sign up at www.Oceana.org/support.

“Corals are found around the world in every type of condition imaginable,” said Suzanne Garrett, Oceana’s dive program coordinator. “From warm to cold, and deep to shallow waters, they provide food and shelter for innumerable marine creatures.”

She added, “Despite covering less than one percent of the ocean floor, reefs are estimated to provide habitat to one quarter of the planet’s marine life; they also act as a natural barrier for coastal regions and provide endless recreational opportunities for scuba divers and snorkelers.”

As part of Oceana’s continuing mission to protect the world’s oceans, its research catamaran, the Ranger, has been sailing around the Mediterranean Sea since 2005 to document the threats posed to coral reefs and marine creatures. Photographs of coral reefs from the Ranger’s most recent voyages can be found here: http://www.oceana.org/europe/aboard-the-ranger/mediterranean-2007/pictures/. To request high0 resolution images of these and other coral reef photographs, contact Kevin Connor at kconnor@oceana.org or 202-467-1910.

To learn more about IYOR visit: http://www.iyor.org/.

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Oceana campaigns to protect and restore the world’s oceans. Our teams of marine scientists, economists, lawyers and advocates win specific and concrete policy changes to reduce pollution and to prevent the irreversible collapse of fish populations, marine mammals and other sea life. Global in scope and dedicated to conservation, Oceana has campaigners based in North America (Washington, DC; New York, NY; Juneau, AK; Monterey, CA; and Portland, OR), Europe (Madrid, Spain; Brussels, Belgium) and South America (Santiago, Chile). More than 300,000 members and e-activists in over 150 countries have already joined Oceana. For more information, please visit www.Oceana.org.

Posted by BrianM at 8:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The International Ecotourism Society (TIES), the world's largest and oldest ecotourism association promoting socially, ecologically and economically responsible travel, announces the TIES University Consortium Field Certificate (UCFC) program, a unique opportunity for students in various disciplines to gain an inherent, reality-based knowledge of the principles of ecotourism within the context of sustainable development.

The UCFC program currently partners with the following universities: California Polytechnic State University, North Carolina State University, West Virginia University, and the University of Utah. TIES is working with existing programs at these universities to combine resources and expertise to offer a field certificate in ecotourism that will ensure an educational foundation in ecotourism, with a combination of flexible and standardized components.

With the first groups of students starting their certificate programs in Spring 2008, TIES is thrilled to officially launch the UCFC. "We welcome students interested in sustainable development and their respective university dedicated to strengthening their offerings in ecotourism and sustainable travel to take advantage of this innovative, multidisciplinary program. It is a great opportunity to link students with the profession and visa versa, a win-win for all," says Dr. Kelly Bricker, Executive Director of TIES and faculty member at the University of Utah.

The UCFC program assists individual universities in the provision of a concentration of study in ecotourism. These disciplines may include, but are not limited to: recreation, parks, and tourism; hospitality management; geography; business; natural resource management; public administration; and landscape architecture.

"We believe TIES and [the UCFC] offer our students a unique advantage in positioning themselves for careers in the field, and we as a program hope to further contribute to the relationships among universities, communities, and tourism that TIES is working to create, maintain, and improve," says Dr. Jerusha Greenwood, of California Polytechnic State University, the UCFC's newest member.

The comprehensive study plan of the UCFC curriculum, which incorporates on-campus and online course work and internship, provides a creative alternative course of study. "The UCFC offers an exceptional experiential learning and professional development opportunities," says Christina Cavaliere, TIES Director of Training and Education. "The UCFC participants will not only have the opportunities to engage in relevant study-abroad programs and coursework, but also gain practical hands-on experiences in projects and skill development."

The UCFC program is part of the efforts by the Training and Education Department of TIES to foster a holistic understanding of ecotourism and sustainable development through the education of multi-disciplinary students and professionals.

Prospective students and university members should contact TIES at: education@ecotourism.org. For more information about the program, and to download the UCFC brochures, please see www.ecotourism.org.

About The International Ecotourism Society (TIES)

As the world's oldest and largest ecotourism organization, TIES is committed to promoting the principles of ecotourism and responsible practices in travel and tourism. With the goal of uniting conservation, communities and sustainable travel, TIES serves its members in over 90 countries, and strives to act as the global source of knowledge and advocacy in ecotourism.

Posted by BrianM at 2:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

In December 2007, The Daily Telegraph Travel section asked for our assistance in analysing and ranking 40 of Britain’s top travel companies in regards to various responsible tourism criteria (and corporate social responsibility policies) for an extensive cover feature. It’s been an interesting project and the resulting article was published on Saturday 12 January 2008. We hope that this will further encourage companies to review, enhance and in some cases even start work on responsible tourism policies and ultimately help to bring about lasting, positive change in the industry.

Read more about the project on the responsibletravel.com website. Read more about the project on The Daily Telegraph website.

Posted by BrianM at 9:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Buyers beware. That so-called “green” product is likely stretching the eco-truth according to the “Six Sins of Greenwashing,” a study released recently by TerraChoice Environmental Marketing. The study found that of 1,018 common consumer products ranging from toothpaste to caulking to shampoo to printers, randomly surveyed for the study, 99 percent were guilty of “greenwashing.”

“The products we surveyed made a total of 1,753 claims, and 99 percent committed at least one of the Six Sins of Greenwashing,” says TerraChoice President Scott McDougall. “The ‘Six Sins of Greenwashing’ will equip consumers with tools to help figure out the truth about enviro-friendly products.” The study and consumer tip sheets can be found at www.terrachoice.com.

The environmental shortcomings were so prevalent that TerraChoice separated them into six categories—or the “Six Sins of Greenwashing.”

1. Sin of the Hidden Trade-Off: e.g. “Energy-efficient” electronics that contain hazardous materials. A total of 998 products or 57 percent of all environmental claims committed this sin.
2. Sin of No Proof: e.g. Shampoos claiming to be “certified organic,” but with no verifiable certification. A total of 454 products and 26 percent of environmental claims committed this sin.
3. Sin of Vagueness: e.g. Products claiming to be 100 percent natural when many naturally-occurring substances are hazardous, like arsenic and formaldehyde. Seen in 196 products or 11 percent of environmental claims.
4. Sin of Irrelevance: e.g. Products claiming to be CFC-free, even though CFCs were banned 20 years ago. This sin was seen in 78 products and 4 percent of environmental claims.
5. Sin of Fibbing: e.g. Products falsely claiming to be certified by an internationally recognized environmental standard like EcoLogo, Energy Star or Green Seal. Found in 10 products or less than 1 percent of environmental claims.
6. Sin of Lesser of Two Evils: e.g. Organic cigarettes or “environmentally friendly” pesticides. This occurred in 17 products or 1 percent of environmental claims.

“Consumers are inundated with products that make green claims,” McDougall says. “Some are accurate, certified and verifiable, while others are just plain fibbing to sell products.”

Manufacturers and suppliers can request an assessment and EcoLogo certification in order to determine whether a product’s claims are valid or if they commit one of the six sins. EcoLogo’s insignia will help consumers know that an independent, credible and expert third party has verified a product’s green qualifications.

“Consumers want to live a more environmentally sustainable lifestyle,” points out McDougall. “TerraChoice’s goal with the ‘Six Sins of Greenwashing’ is to help consumers become more knowledgeable shoppers so that they can buy green with confidence.”

To download a copy of the Six Sins of Greenwashing Report, go to www.terrachoice.com and click on the “Six Sins of Greenwashing”. To see video of Scott McDougall talking about the Six Sins of Greenwashing, go to www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkIJtU67Rc8.

About EcoLogo

EcoLogo is a government ecolabelling program that has been accredited by the Global Ecolabelling Network, an international association of ecolabelling programs, as meeting the ISO 14024 environmental marketing standard. EcoLogo was originally founded by the Canadian government, now with worldwide use, similar to the U.S. government's Energy Star program. EcoLogo provides a market incentive to manufacturers and suppliers of environmentally preferable products and services in more than 120 product categories (more than 7,000 products currently certified), and thereby helps consumers identify products and services that are less harmful to the environment. EcoLogo was established in 1988 and today is one of the most recognizable ecolabelling initiatives in North America. For more information, visit www.ecologo.org.

About TerraChoice Environmental Marketing

TerraChoice Environmental Marketing is North America’s premiere environmental marketing firm. TerraChoice has been the official management, certification and delivery agent of the EcoLogo since 1995. Emphasis on customer service is a key component of TerraChoice's delivery of the EcoLogo. Companies going through the certification process are assisted at every stage. In the final stages, applicants are visited by a third-party auditor who conducts a final verification audit.

Posted by BrianM at 11:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)