Willoughby, OH – (June 10, 2010) – Judy Pezdir and Jill Palermo, the mother/daughter team that co-founded WE ADD UP, announced today two new additions to their environmental t-shirt line.  Ten dollars from the sale of the “Clean It Up” t-shirt will be donated to the Gulf Restoration Network, who since the first days of BP’s oil drilling disaster has provided independent monitoring and advocacy focused on holding BP accountable and ensuring an effective and transparent response to the crisis.  And, ten dollars from the sale of the “Hair To The Rescue” t-shirt will be donated to Matter of Trust, a non-profit organization that is coordinating the international movement of hair dressers, pet groomers, and others who are donating hair to make hair booms.  Hair, a natural fiber, is stuffed into nylons, creating booms that are very effective at soaking up oil.

On the 52nd day of approximately 40,000 barrels of oil per day spilling into the ecologically sensitive Gulf of Mexico waters, BP is currently attempting to drill relief wells to stop the flow.  This effort will take months and the most optimistic reports claim the gusher will be stemmed in August.  Clean up efforts will take years, according to experts.  “When we, my mother and I, first heard about the BP oil drilling disaster, we knew it was going to be huge,” says Jill Palermo.  “Like many people, we said, ‘We HAVE to do something. This is too important not to be a part of and help in some way.”

WE ADD UP, with over 16,000 participating members, is a global campaign printed on organic cotton t-shirts that literally “counts you in” for your green commitments.  Every shirt is printed by hand with a unique number on the front. Your number represents your position in the sequential global count of people who are taking steps to help solve the climate crisis. As the count grows, we demonstrate to the world that “WE ADD UP.”  On the back of each shirt is a word or phrase that describes an action almost anyone can take to reduce their carbon footprint, the contribution their lifestyle makes to greenhouse gas emissions, such as, Unplug, Lights Off, Hybrid, Bike, Buy Local, and 25 others. Consumers choose which action they are committed to and receive their number.

“The mission of the campaign is to spread the message that each of our efforts do matter, because collectively, we add up,” said Jill Palermo.  “This is a global issue, and our goal is to get millions of people worldwide counted in and committed to taking action to stop climate change now. No one can do everything, but everyone can do something.”

Products are available online starting today at www.weaddup.com and include:
- “Clean It Up” Organic cotton adult t-shirts available in Unisex style. Sizes: S, M, L, XL, and 2X: $28 each
- “Hair To The Rescue” Organic cotton adult t-shirts available in Unisex style. Sizes: S, M, L, XL, and 2X: $28 each

Adult t-shirt global warming action messages (30 total) include the following phrases with a graphic icon for each: Clean It Up, Hair To The Rescue, Switch, Recycle, Plant Trees, Vegan, Garden, Green Jobs, Line Dry, Eat Less Meat, Wind, Hybrid, Buy Local, Organic, Demand Change, Solar, Shower Together, Unplug, Drink Tap, Mass Transit, Bike, Lights Off, and Compost. There is also a shirt in each color with all 24 icons on the back.

Organic Cotton Manufacturing Practices
WE ADD UP t-shirts are made with 100 percent certified organic cotton that is grown and manufactured under strict fair labor practices. While organic cotton is grown without the use of synthetic pesticides or herbicides, non-organic cotton is the most pesticide-intensive crop on earth. Although cotton is grown on only about three percent of the farmland in the world, 25 percent of the world’s pesticides are used on cotton fields. National Academy of Sciences researchers have classified more than 80 percent of the most commonly used pesticides as potentially carcinogenic. Each t-shirt helps prevent about one-third of a pound of pesticides from getting into topsoil and groundwater and helps farm workers avoid dangerous chemical exposure. Organic agriculture also helps create fertile soil that is more resistant to degradation from droughts and floods, thus limiting some of the long-term effects of global warming. All in all, choosing organic cotton has a positive impact on the planet.

About WE ADD UP
Launched in 2007, We Add Up is a Green America Approved company for People and the Planet and is committed to operating a “green” business. Please visit http://www.weaddup.com for more information.

WE ADD UP works with CarbonFund.org to offer a carbon-free shipping option that offsets the carbon emissions it takes to ship the product to the customer.

WE ADD UP also offers its products as a fundraiser for high schools, colleges, community and non-profit groups. Groups receive 15 percent of sales and are eligible to win prizes. Currently, over 100 schools have enrolled in the program.

Driven by a personal desire to spread a message of hope and to inspire action to stop global warming, the mother/daughter team created WE ADD UP. The Web site, www.weaddup.com, is hosted by DreamHost, which runs all of its servers on renewable energy. WE ADD UP fundraising catalogs are printed on 100 percent recycled paper with soy inks, and the manufacturing is offset by wind energy credits. Please visit www.weaddup.com for more information.

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With the summer sun out in full force (hooooray!!), we’re excited to release our new We Add Up organic cotton ball cap.  My Mom and I have been loving wearing ours at the beach, walking the dogs, and walking to pick up our weekly share from our CSA.  The hat is SUPER comfy and this is coming from a typically anti-hat person.  See all the details here and enjoy your summer activities while keeping your eyes shaded, your brow dry, and spreading the “We Add Up” movement wherever you go.  - Jill

If you’re like me, you’ve been outraged and sad for what is happening in the Gulf now with the BP oil drilling disaster. In response, We Add Up has just launched 2 new t-shirt actions in support of holding BP accountable and helping in the recovery. $10 from the sale of each shirt will be donated in this effort. Learn more here: http://www.weaddup.com/oilspillshirts

$10 from your purchase of “Clean It Up” is donated to the Gulf Restoration Network. Since the first days of BP’s oil drilling disaster, the Gulf Restoration Network has provided independent monitoring and advocacy focused on holding BP accountable and ensuring an effective and transparent response to the crisis. $10 from your purchase of “Hair To The Rescue” is donated to Matter of Trust, a non-profit organization that is coordinating the international movement of hair dressers, pet groomers, and others who are donating hair to make hair booms. Hair Booms are very effective at soaking up oil.

This spill was just declared “without doubt” the largest in US history. Let’s not waste this opportunity to turn tragedy into action. - Jill

We hear you! You asked for them and now we’re excited to give you even more ways to spread the We Add Up message, whether you’re grocery shopping, at the beach, at lunch, or on the go:

Recycled Cotton Black Tote Bag

Recycled Cotton Lunch Bag

Biodegradable Eco-Travel Mug

Bumper Sticker

Plus, now thru Friday, get 10% off your order when you enter coupon code “Icons2010″ at checkout! Shop Now!

In November 2009, young leaders from 19 different countries were led on an expedition to Antarctica by Robert Swan, the first person to walk to both poles, and others from his “2041″ organization. The “International Antarctic Treaty Expedition” celebrated the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Antarctic Treaty, and the expedition explored the unique collaboration between nations that has made the Treaty so successful, and the possibility that a global climate treaty might model itself after that same collaboration. The aim of the 2041 organization is to work towards the continuing protection of the Antarctic Treaty so that the last great wilderness on earth is never exploited.

Since returning home, the inspired leaders have been spreading the message of the need to promote sustainability and are helping to inspire others with their amazing story.

We’re excited to share their story and to have We Add Up set foot on Antarctica! Special thanks to Lauren Wylie for arranging this photograph and sharing their story with us. Read about her adventures in Antarctica here and her blog here.

From left to right: Lauren Wylie (New York, NY, USA), Joe Spedding (Newcastle, UK), Emily Pritchard (Melbourne, Australia), Caroline Koiter (Rijnsburg, The Netherlands), Zach Rome (Brooklyn, NY, USA), Robert Swan (UK, Australia, Antarctica), Ivo Nederpelt (The Hague, The Netherlands), Adam Scherr (Burlington, VT, USA)

For more information please visit http://www.2041.com
2041 was founded by polar explorer, environmental leader and public speaker Robert Swan, OBE, the first person in history to walk to both the North and South poles. Swan has dedicated his life to the preservation of Antarctica by the promotion of recycling, renewable energy and sustainability to combat the effects of climate change.

ANNOUNCEMENT: For the Spring Semester (January 1 - May 31, 2010), thanks to the generosity of Natural Yards, we will be offering an exciting GRAND PRIZE to the fundraising group who counts in the most people: $1,500 worth of beautifully-crafted raised bed garden kits! Now your school can start or expand their organic garden. Visit the Natural Yards website to learn more about this prize.

Your group can fundraise the traditional way, using catalogs, or you can fundraise online. Whether you are with a school group, a church, a 4H club, a girl scout troop, or other organization, fundraising with We Add Up is the meaningful way to raise money. And, educate people about climate solutions at the same time. Read more on how to fundraise with We Add Up and compete for this awesome prize.

September 23, 2009 – New York, NY The climate crisis is upon us with a new sense of urgency, as WE ADD UP launches the ‘World’s Biggest Green Sweepstakes,’ geared to create awareness and action for climate change. With the recent passing of the American Clean Energy and Security Act by the House of Representatives and international climate talks in Copenhagen this December, many see an opportunity for the U.S. to act as a global leader in clean energy and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. In the midst of this crucial time, WE ADD UP kicks off the Climate Action Giveaway, a virtual Web campaign to harvest awareness and action around global warming throughout the nation, and drive home that America could in fact be a world leader in forging these vital agreements.

The sweepstakes begins September 23, 2009, during the first ever “Climate Week” happening in New York City, and continues until prizes are awarded by random drawing on December 7, 2009, when the United Nations gathers in Copenhagen for the COP15 Climate Change Conference.

Starting September 23, Americans can visit WE ADD UP’s www.climategiveaway.com to join the sweepstakes. Once they sign up, they will automatically be entered for a chance to win exciting green prizes. WE ADD UP’s goal is to get 1 million people learning about climate solutions and participating in simple actions in order to help create a tipping point in public engagement necessary to forge real solutions in the coming months. Each week, participants will be sent an email with a suggestion of such an action they can take, whether it be e-faxing their Senator to support strong US climate legislation or participating in 350.org viral photo activism about COP15 in Copenhagen, one action and a few minutes is all it takes. Non-profit partners 1Sky and 350.org are helping direct the actions participants are invited to take.

WE ADD UP’s Facebook page and Twitter feed will educate fans with climate facts, trivia, news, and the various actions they can take to be a part of the campaign. Its message is simple: Take action, Make history, Win prizes.

The Climate Action Giveaway is the biggest green sweepstakes in the history of environmental causes, with over 230 winners to be chosen. Prizes include a 4 day backpacking trip at Glacier National Park in Montana (Glacier Guides), a year’s supply of Organic Valley milk, $2,500 worth of Natural Yards custom raised bed gardens shipped to your door, LED Christmas lights (Environmental Lights), up to $4,300 in IceStone coutertops, a durable surface made from 100% recycled glass and cement, a year’s supply of gDiapers, $400 diamond simulant earrings by Diamond Nexus Labs, and much more!

This program targets everyday consumers and Facebook and Twitter users to drive the program’s message virally, online, and within their own communities. “Most people are unaware that we are currently being offered an unprecedented opportunity to make progress on climate change both in the US and internationally,” says Jill Palermo, co-founder of WE ADD UP. “We have invited hundreds of green businesses to offer eco-friendly prizes and join with us in this sweepstakes, offering what they do best to help make sure we don’t waste the next few precious months.”

With an expectation to gain strong influencers, WE ADD UP is confident that this initiative will increase the momentum needed to make a real difference in wide-ranging middle-American communities. “We hope Americans use this project as an entry point to be active in our government and show our elected leaders support, so they can make the tough decisions,” says Jill Palermo. “If we elect people who promise change into office, we also must deliver them support along the way.”

The launch of this campaign comes at an extremely timely moment as the Senate continues to deal with such high-impact issues as healthcare, national security, education, and the current economic crisis. WE ADD UP strives to bring the issue of climate change to the forefront of the public’s attention—so as many people as possible are educated and active in helping influence the direction our country and world takes.

For more information, press materials or to join the WE ADD UP Climate Action Giveaway visit: http://climategiveaway.com/

To become a fan of WE ADD UP visit: http://www.facebook.com/weaddup

To follow on Twitter visit: http://www.twitter.com/weaddup

For all press inquiries contact Kimberly Ingrassia at kim@weaddup.com or 646.339.1030.

About WE ADD UP
WE ADD UP is a for-benefit green business, global campaign and marketing tool using organic cotton t-shirts that literally “counts you in” for your contribution to help solve the climate crisis. Every shirt is custom printed by hand with a unique number that represents the individual’s place in the sequential global count of people adding up to make change. As the count grows, it demonstrates to the world that “WE ADD UP.” On the back of each shirt is a word or phrase that describes an action almost anyone can take to reduce their carbon footprint - the contribution their lifestyle makes to greenhouse gases - such as Unplug, Lights Off, Carpool, Hybrid, Bike, Buy Local, and 27 others. No one can do everything. Everyone can do something. And, WE ADD UP. www.weaddup.com