350+ Small Businesses Sign Climate Declaration in Call for U.S. Climate Change Policy

BOSTON, June 20, 2013 /3BL Media/ – More than 350 American small businesses from 47 states and the District of Columbia have signed the Climate Declaration, a statement calling on U.S. policymakers to capture the American economic opportunities of addressing climate change.

The announcement comes during Small Business Week in Washington, D.C., where dozens of small business leaders will meet with lawmakers to discuss the economic impacts and opportunities of climate change with the American Sustainable Business Council (ASBC) and BICEP (Business for Innovative Climate and Energy Policy), which launched the Climate Declaration campaign earlier this year.

These small business leaders join more than 150 other companies, including General Motors Co., Unilever, IKEA, Stonyfield Farm and more than 100 ski areas, in asserting, “Tackling climate change is one of America’s greatest economic opportunities of the 21st century … There must be a coordinated effort to combat climate change—with America taking the lead here at home.”

Small businesses contribute approximately $11.7 billion to the U.S. economy, employ approximately 60 million Americans and yet are highly vulnerable to extreme weather and other impacts of climate change. In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, the U.S. Small Business Administration approved more than 34,000 disaster loan applications for a total of $2.2 billion in aid. The storm prompted the third largest total of small business disaster lending in U.S. history, and the 2013 wildfire and hurricane seasons are already well underway, threatening businesses from coast to coast.

“Small business owners are flexible and adaptable to changing economic conditions, but not to disastrous weather and climate.  Our livelihoods could be easily wiped away by a storm like Sandy,” said Susan Labandibar, President of Tech Networks, a Boston-based IT services firm. “We signed the Declaration and are here in Washington to remind members of Congress that responding to this problem—rather than wishing it away—is the course of action that will lead to a better economic outlook for American businesses.”

The signatories of the Climate Declaration include businesses spanning a variety of industries, including the financial services, hospitality, consulting, architecture, food service, agriculture and technology sectors. A full list of signatories follows below.

“Most small businesses do not benefit from either the sources or the disastrous effects of climate change. On the contrary, they see tackling climate change as key to the future prosperity of their companies and communities,” said Richard Eidlin, Director of Public Policy for ASBC. “It is time for Washington to address the climate challenge by making investments in clean and efficient energy systems that will create jobs, reduce carbon emissions and drive the future of the American economy.”

“We are proud to have the support of so many small business leaders and the ASBC, who believe that tackling climate change is an American economic opportunity,” said Anne Kelly, director of BICEP. “Many of these businesses are pillars of their communities; still more are important suppliers to other Climate Declaration signatories. The voice of the business community is strong on climate action, and it’s time for policymakers to respond.”

Over the course of an ongoing campaign organized by Ceres and BICEP, other businesses, as well as individuals, are encouraged to sign the Declaration and join the call to action. For more information about the Climate Declaration, please visit www.climatedeclaration.us.

About Ceres

Ceres is an advocate for sustainability leadership.  Ceres mobilizes a powerful coalition of investors, companies and public interest groups to accelerate and expand the adoption of sustainable business practices and solutions to build a healthy global economy. Ceres also directs the Investor Network on Climate Risk (INCR), a network of 100 institutional investors with collective assets totaling more than $11 trillion. For more information, visit http://www.ceres.org

About the American Sustainable Business Council

The American Sustainable Business Council and its member organizations represent more than 165,000 businesses nationwide, and more than 300,000 entrepreneurs, executives, managers, and investors. The council includes chambers of commerce, trade associations, and groups representing small business, investors, microenterprise, social enterprise, green and sustainable business, local living economy, and women and minority business leaders. ASBC informs and engages policy makers and the public about the need and opportunities for building a vibrant and sustainable economy. For more information, visit www.asbcouncil.org

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ALASKA
Earth Friendly Coffee            Homer
Mountain Rider's Alliance        Hope

ARIZONA
BKW III, LLC                Bisbee
ClarkFarms                Patagonia
CLE Assets, LLC            Phoenix
Institute for Business Longevity    Chandler
Journey Beyond Life            Prescott
Originate Natural Building Materials Showroom     Tucson
Prologic Technical group        Tucson
Sustainable Arizona            Sedona

ARKANSAS
Design Work Group            Monticello

CALIFORNIA
ABSC                    Placerville
Bay Trading                Novato
BitJazz, Inc.                Woodacre
BlueJayWay                Oakland
California Association for Micro Enterprise Opportunity                    San Francisco
Cagwen & Dorward Landscape Contractors    Novato
Care2                    Rohnert Park
Chosen Futures                San Francisco
Communitas Financial Planning         San Francisco
Continuum Industries            San Francisco
Coto Consulting, Inc.            Coto De Caza
David Sanger Photography, LLC        Albany
Debra Little Sustainable Design        Grass Valley
Distance Learning Consulting        Lafayette
DLSD                    Grass Valley
Flynn & Assoc., Inc.            El Cerrito
Free Range Studios            Oakland
Gaia Development Services        Marina del Rey
Go Solar USA, Inc.            Fremont
Gravitas Docufilms            Martinez
Great Mex Grill    Newport Beach
Green Age 360                Oakland
Green Retirement Plans, Inc.        Oakland
GVC                    San Francisco
Health Insurance for Californians        Sacramento
House Kombucha       Oakland
Imageworks                San Diego
Joint Venture Monterey Bay        Salinas
Leisure Wheels Quadracycles, LLC        Palm Springs
LittleFootprint Lighting            Santa Cruz
Living Tree Community Foods        Berkeley
Mal Warwick | Donordigital        Berkeley
Matrix Design Studio            San Diego
Natural Logic, Inc.                 Berkeley
New Moon Girl Media            Emeryville
New Resource Bank            San Francisco
PODenergy, Inc.                Ventura
Proof Lab Surf Shop            Mill Valley
RC Cubed                Santa Cruz
RCFA, Inc.                Rancho Murieta
Realty Transacts, Inc.            San Diego
RetroCom Energy Strategies, Inc.        Elk Grove
Rinova International            Tiburon
SaveWithSunlight, Inc.            Davis
Sidel Systems USA, Inc.             Atascadero
Simmons Natural Bodycare        Bridgeville
SolSource, Inc.                 Fullerton    
Sonoma Wine Company            Graton
St. John & Associates            Mendocino
Sustainable Concepts Studio        El Cerrito
Sustainable Enterprise Conference    Forestville
Tall Tree Labs                       Huntington Beach
Tamalpais NatureWorks            San Rafael
Technical Equipment Cleaners        Truckee
The Added Edge                Glen Ellen
The Ratcliff Architects             Emeryville
The Specialty Sleep Association        Friant
True Market Solutions            San Francisco
Underground                San Francisco
Weil Aquatronics                Fountain Valley

COLORADO
Abraham Paiss & Associates        Boulder
AECB Designs                Wheat Ridge
Albritton Skis                Salida
Best Organics, Inc.            Boulder
Canyonlights Photography            Lyons
ClearSky Reporting            Boulder
Earth and Sky Architecture        Denver
Equinox Consultancy, LLC        Boulder
GoLite, LLC                Boulder
Integrative Healthcare Policy Consortium    Conifer
iResortApp                Silverthorne
Krahmer Holdings, LLC            Englewood
NeverSummer Studio            Grand Lake
Nomad, Inc.                Carbondale
San Juan Coffee Company            Durango
Suite Sleep, Inc.                Boulder
Taiga Company                Golden
The Vector Group            Streamboat Springs
Urban Life 5280                Lafayette
Venner Consulting, Inc.            Lakewood
webShine                Aspen

CONNECTICUT
Chandler, LLC                Greenwich

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
American Income Life Insurance        Washington
DCSTA                    Washington
Eighty2degrees, LLC            Washington
Eva Realty, LLC                Washington
Greenease                Washington
Pansaari                    Washington
PRé North America            Washington
Shifting Patterns Consulting        Washington
The Organic Center            Washington

FLORIDA
3 Pillar Solutions, LLC            Jupiter
Breaking Ground Contracting        Jacksonville
Carters Pest Control            Bradenton
Cyrus LNR                Cocoa
Ethical Markets Media             St. Augustine
FTS Telecom                Orlando
globotext                Coconut Grove
Great Green Editing            Lutz
Green Energy Marketing & Consulting    Tallahassee
Hayes Law, PL                Orlando
IDEAS For Us                Miami
Javier's Restaurant            Sarasota
Nancy Deren Financial Coaching        Gainesville
National Benefit Service Center        Maitland

GEORGIA
Follett and Smith Enterprises, LLC        Alpharetta
Law Office of Linda Aronson        Atlanta
New Leaf Distributing Co.            Lithia Springs
Solaero                    Peachtree City
Sustainable Atlanta            Atlanta

HAWAII
Barzman Consulting            Honolulu
Sustainable Island Products, LLC        Hilo

IDAHO
All Seasons Garden Center        Sandpoint
TwentyTwo Designs            Driggs

ILLINOIS
A. Anderson Music             Chicago
Chicago Family Health Center        Chicago
DeepGreen                Des Plaines
DuPage Psychological Associates        Glen Ellyn
General Biomass Company        Evanston
Gilasi by Innerglow, Inc.            Chicago
HeatSaver                Calumet City
HJKessler Associates            Chicago
HMP                    Chicago
Hoffman Management Partners, LLC    Chicago
Interactive Campus Technologies        Des Plaines
Just in Time Direction            Glen Ellyn
Paper Free Programs            Evanston
Promotional Product Solutions        Evanston
Sangamon River Arborist            White Heath
TheHitBid Company, Inc.             Homer Glen

INDIANA
GPM Global                Fort Wayne
Green Project Management Global        Fort Wayne

IOWA
Rain Barrels Iowa            Des Moines

KANSAS
Interdependent Web            Emporia

KENTUCKY
Bluegrass Academic Tutoring, LLC        Louisville

LOUSIANA
Rebirth Capital, LLC            New Orleans

MAINE
Admiral's Buttons, Inc.            Camden
Back Country Excursions, LLC        Parsonsfield
Jennifer Kierstead Consulting        Waterville

MARYLAND
ABC Box Co.                Baltimore
Amicus Green Building Center, LLC    Kensington
Blessed Coffee                Takoma Park
CEM Design Architects            Rockville
EcoKraft                Silver Spring
Endosys, LLC                Silver Spring
Ethical Electric                Silver Spring
HarborWest Design            Owings Mills
Helicon Works Architects            Takoma Park
Living Calmness                Laurel
Refresh! Interiors & Staging        -
Solar Energy World            Elkridge
The Fehlig Group, LLC            Gaithersburg

MASSACHUSETTS
Boston Building Resources        Boston
Broadside Bookshop, Inc.            Northampton
Business Wisdom                Lexington
Captains of Industry            Boston
CDI Meters, Inc.                Woburn
Chez Sven B&B                Wellfleet
Classic Communications            Foxboro
Co-op Power                Hatfield
EcoValuePoints                Cambridge
Green And Profitable            Hadley
Holistic Project Management Consulting     Baldwinville
Market Dynamics LOHAS            Acton
Martha's                    Cambridge
Melina/Hyland Design Group        Cambridge
NYR Organic                Concord
Oaktree/Greenline            Cambridge
People & Planet Holdings            Medford
South Mountain Company, Inc.        West Tisbury
Tech Networks of Boston            South Boston
Tel-Affinity Corporation            Needham
TRU2U     Communications            Amherst
Video4Good Studios            Easthampton

MICHIGAN
Blue Chip Technologies Group        Brighton
Green Advantage Consultants        Chelsea
Wolcott House Bed & Breakfast        Fenton

MINNESOTA
Adroit Solutions                Minneapolis
Bee Free Honee                Minneapolis
BioAmber, Inc.                Plymouth
Contempl8 T-Shirts            Minneapolis
David Karakatsoulis Pottery        Duluth
Global Perception, Inc.    Columbia Heights
Lake Climate Group            Minneapolis
Rune's Furniture                Fairmont
TransUNImission, Inc.            Lakeville
Z2 Enterprises                Sauk Rapids

MISSISSIPPI
Fair Trade Green                Jackson

MISSOURI
Miller Chiropractic            Troy
SustainEdge                Wildwood

MONTANA
Blue Ribbon Flies    West Yellowstone
Dahlman Ranch, Inc.            Forsyth
HaydenTanner, LLC            Bigfork

NEBRASKA
Earthshade Natural Window Fashions    Elkhorn

NEVADA
Escape Adventures, Inc.            Las Vegas
Gomez Consulting Group.            Henderson
On Demand Ventures, Inc.            Las Vegas

NEW HAMPSHIRE
Coppertoppe Inn & Retreat Center        Hebron
PeopleSense Consulting, LLC        Jaffrey
Worthen Industries            Nashua

NEW JERSEY
Ristorante Maietta            Englishtown
Consumer Eyes                Glen Ridge
Copyrose Marketing & Communications    River Vale
Ecco Bella                West Orange
Kayak Media                West Orange
KKI                    Warren
Moorland Studios, Inc.            Stockton
SumaGreen                Hammonton
Swan Creek Energy            Trenton
Transitioning To Green            Montville
Triple Ethos    Point Pleasant Beach

NEW MEXICO
Concept Green                Albuquerque
Current-C Energy Systems, Inc.        Albuquerque
Rio Grande Natural Health Clinic        Albuquerque
William Freimuth Architecture        Farmington

NEW YORK
39 West Press                New York    
Abundance Cooperative Market        Rochester
AlphaSource Capital Securities, LLC    New York
Bates Apartments                Morrisonville
BCW Historic Properties LP        Brooklyn
Bespoken Corporate Communication    New York
Big Blue Advisors            New York
EcoPlum                New York
Green Map System            New York
GREENPLAN, Inc.            Rhinebeck
Independence                New York
Jayne Winter Design, LLC            Ithaca
Kenoza Type, Inc.             Kenoza Lake
Little Cupcake Bakeshop            New York
LWGriffin’s Supply, LLC            Trumansburg
Manhattan Chamber of Commerce        New York
Octagon Builders                East Chatham
Olavie                    New York
Sea to Table                Brooklyn
Singlebrook Technology            Ithaca
Splice Photography            Brooklyn
SustainableBusiness.com    Huntington Station
The Law Office of Jordana M. Gutman, PC    New York
Village Car Service            Staten Island

NORTH CAROLINA
AIRES                    Asheville
Auralites, Inc.                Fletcher
Buena                    Wilmington
Fiberactive Organics, L3C            Apex
Gypsy Divers                Raleigh
JEVAS                    Asheville
Medley Meadows Farm            King
PLC Repair                Charlotte
Resourcing Natural Solutions        Durham
Sigmon Design, Inc.            Charlotte

NORTH DAKOTA
Kirschenmann Family Farms        Medina

OHIO
Della Zona Restaurant            Athens
Ecologic Farms                Delaware
Muddy Fork Farm            Wooster
Sunsprout Farms of Central Ohio        Columbus
SupraOrganics                Columbus
Tulong, LLC                Cincinnati
Village Bakery & Cafe            Athens

OKLAHOMA
High Flight Arts and Letters        Claremore

OREGON
3rd Rock Data, Inc.            Portland
Artifice, Inc.                Eugene
Combined Facility Systems        Medford
GO Box                    Portland
GoGreen Conference            Portland
Hobi Fire Wagons, LLC            Roseburg
Independence Gardens, LLC        Portland
JB Bane & Company, Inc.            Enterprise
Johnny Creek Ranch            Kimberly
Meeting Strategies Worldwide        Portland
MindEase Billing                Portland
Mirador Community Store            Portland
Roots Realty                Portland
SpiritWorks Software, Inc.            Keizer
Stumptown Puzzles            Portland
Susan Hebert Imports            Portland
Susan Mackenzie Interiors            Grants Pass
Sustainable Environmental Services Corp.    Hillsboro
Tamara Staton                Portland

PENNSYLVANIA
Belkis Consulting, LLC            York
Community Heritage Partners, LLC        Lancaster
Environmental Logic, Inc.            Pittsburgh
Exact Solar                Yardley
Finance                    Ashley
Green Heron Tools, LLC            New Tripoli
Hydroscapes, Inc.                Yardley
MooreBetterFood                Narberth
National Foundry Products, Inc.        Philadelphia
Resonate, LLC                Berwyn
The Philadelphia Catering Co.         Philadelphia
UKZN                    Pittsburgh
West Side Auto Repair            Uniontown

RHODE ISLAND
Klinkman Solar Design            Providence

SOUTH CAROLINA
Harry Barker                Charleston
Levin Consultants            Columbia
South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce         Columbia    
Wellness Boutique, LLC            Hartsville

TENNESSEE
American Exchange            Chattanooga

TEXAS
Barbara Ann's Antiques            Queen City
BLK Virtual Assistance            Spring
Blue Moon Massage            Lubbock
Dolphin Blue, Inc.            Dallas
EcoStrategies                San Antonio
Evolving Electric Motor Company        Georgetown
Hill Country Green Team            Austin
Intelliroof                Dallas
RecycleMatch                Houston
Rosh Energy, LLC            Houston
The Hummer Group, Inc.             Uvalde
The Pretenders                Austin

UTAH
Park City Lodging, Inc.            Park City
Peterson Equipment Company        Hyde Park

VERMONT
Aegis Wind, LLC                Waitsfield
Agrilab Technologies, LLC        Enosburg Falls
Ethics By Design                Middlebury
Maslack Media, Inc.            Saint Albans
R. John & Co.                Brattleboro
Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility Burlington

VIRGINIA
Curren Media Group            Staunton
Hanging Rock Animal Hospital        Salem
Marstel-Day, LLC            Fredericksburg
Envolve                     Merrified
Pennie Rose Massage Therapy, Inc.        Fredericksburg
Re-Nuble                Lorton

WASHINGTON
B2B4Me                Bellevue
Camp Creative                Spokane
Change Catalyst                Seattle
Chekfaxx Corp.                 Seattle
Fair Portia                Olympia
GreenBalance Energy Marketing        Duvall
I & I Design                Seattle
JFK Chilson Opals & More        Enumclaw
Liberty Bottleworks            Union Gap
McColl Studio, Inc.            Bellingham
MJ's Chocolate Fantasy            Spokane
Modern Species                Seattle
Moldestad Industrial, LLC            Snohomish
NRG Insurance                Seattle
Occupy.com                -
S2 Sustainability Consultants        Seattle
Van Pelt Corbett Bellows, Inc.        Seattle
Watershed, LLC                Vashon

WEST VIRGINIA
Good Natured, LLC            Martinsburg
Probst Furniture Makers            Hamlin
Tenfold Fair Trade Collection        Harpers Ferry

WISCONSIN
Pipe Organs/Golden Ponds Farm        Delafield
Chrysalis Farm                Viroqua
Convergence Energy            Lake Geneva
Green Apple Inn B&B            La Farge
Johnson Custom Leathers            Osceola
Kinder Kloset, Inc.             Rochester
Write Stuff Resources, LLC        Cedarburg

WYOMING
Ebb & Flow Media            Jackson
Terra Public Relations            Jackson
Teton Gravity Research            Teton Villa