October 11, 2006

Tahoe City, CA > Small ship adventure cruise expert and eco-tourism specialist AdventureSmith Explorations is leading the revolution in creating a completely carbon free cruise experience.

"Increasingly travelers are seeking to reduce the impact of their own travel footprint," states AdventureSmith Explorations founder Todd Smith. "We are pleased to introduce a sustainable alternative for cruise travelers interested in the fight against global warming. Most people are astonished to learn that over 30% of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide are related to travel. As a long time naturalist and guide, especially in Alaska, I have witnessed first hand the effects global warming and climate change have on our planet. Glaciers are retreating, permafrost is melting, forest fires are more intense; entire ecosystems are being effected. Through our Carbon Free Cruising campaign we will completely neutralize harmful carbon emissions created as a result of our guest's cruise travel."

The campaign for carbon free cruising is quite revolutionary, yet simple in its implementation. To neutralize cruise related greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming, AdventureSmith Explorations calculates the amount of carbon emitted by each small ship cruise itinerary it offers then divides that by the number of guests cruising each year. In turn, when a cruise is purchased, AdventureSmith Explorations contributes a portion of the cruise fare to Sustainable Travel International's MyClimate carbon offset program to support climate friendly projects around the world; projects such as methane collection and electricity generation in South Africa, solar collectors instead of diesel boilers in Costa Rica, and weatherizing low income housing in the United States. Together, AdventureSmith Explorations, along with its travel clients, can fight global warming through contributions to MyClimate and the alternative energy projects it supports around the world.

Furthermore, AdventureSmith Explorations' Carbon Free Cruising campaign has no effect on the price of its cruises in any way. In other words, the cost of the campaign is not passed onto the traveler. However, after learning more about carbon emissions and the effects of travel on the environment, most travelers make an additional contribution to offset emissions resulting from their air travel. For example, each passenger's portion of an international flight emits nearly a ton, on average, of greenhouse gasses. This means that a round trip flight can emit more carbon than an automobile does in a year. Travelers are encouraged to make an additional contribution (typically only $10 to $50), making their entire journey by air and by sea "carbon free."

MyClimate buys renewable energy and energy efficiency offsets. More specifically, after calculating the CO2 emissions released during a passenger's travels, AdventureSmith Explorations neutralizes this impact by contributing to MyClimate, which purchases offsets from Kyoto Protocol-compliant projects and projects certified by The Gold Standard. In other words, contributions by AdventureSmith Explorations and its environmentally conscious travelers go to local communities or businesses to help fund more environmentally friendly development options to offset travel emissions.

"On an average 8-day Galapagos cruise, between 0.7 and 1.2 tons of CO2 are emitted on a per passenger basis. Antarctic icebreakers can emit a third-ton of CO2 per day per passenger. And of course, the effect of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere is cumulative, so acting now has more impact than acting later," says Smith. "Businesses in the U.S. don't currently have to account for their global climate change impacts from greenhouse gas emissions, travel related or otherwise, so AdventureSmith Explorations is taking direct responsibility for our impact through our Carbon Free Cruising campaign."

About AdventureSmith Explorations
AdventureSmith Explorations specializes in small ship cruise expeditions and wilderness tours. Company founder Todd Smith pioneered the concept of wilderness cruising - combining the comforts of a small cruise ship with the adventure of sea kayaking and exploring ashore in remote wilderness areas. Founded in 2003, AdventureSmith Explorations strives to create connections with the world's exotic natural environments and native cultures through travel, combining fun and exciting activities such as sea kayaking, hiking, small ship cruising and rafting in places not found on more conventional itineraries; extraordinary, off-the-beaten-path places in such destinations as Alaska, the Caribbean, Costa Rica, Belize, Ecuador and the Galapagos, Guatemala, the Arctic, Antarctica and New Zealand.

In addition to its Carbon Free Cruising campaign, it is the company's mission is to give something back to the individuals, communities and environments encountered on every AdventureSmith Explorations trip through connecting travelers with a network of grassroots and global nonprofit partners worldwide including the Alaska Natural History Association, Neotropica Foundation, and Galapagos Conservancy, among others.

For reservations or more information, visit www.AdventureSmithExplorations.com, call 1-800-728-2875 or email travel@AdventureSmithExplorations.com.

About MyClimate
MyClimate is a Switzerland-based registered charity that falls under the strict requirements of Swiss law, which state that at least 80% of the money it receives must benefit the projects it endorses. The MyClimate Charitable Foundation Board defines the standards, criteria and processes to ensure the integrity and credibility of all MyClimate transactions. Sustainable Travel International (STI) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and is the provider of MyClimate in North America. STI also contributes 80% of the gross revenue it generates through MyClimate to carbon-offset projects.

Attention Media: For more information and downloadable, hi-res images, view the media resources in our Press Room at AdventureSmithExplorations.com.