Airstream travelers can join the Caravan to Carbon Neutral campaign to help fund tree planting in national forests
Airstream will directly underwrite the planting of an estimated 118,405 trees by the National Forest Foundation. (Airstream)
The community of Airstream travelers heading out to the great outdoors can now have more confidence in their commitment to the environment and the preservation of wildlands. Through its Caravan to Carbon Neutral campaign, the maker of the iconic “silver bullet” travel trailers and motor homes will fund tree planting in national forests. And the two-pronged approach will encourage Airstream owners to do the same with the purchase of a Carbon Reduction Kit from the National Forest Foundation.
Caravan to Carbon Neutral is an industry-first initiative to neutralize estimated carbon emissions created by use of the company’s products, Airstream President and CEO Bob Wheeler, said in a statement.
The community of Airstream travelers has a symbiotic relationship with nature and the environment, Wheeler, said. “This program brings an innovative solution to Airstreamers who want to neutralize their estimated carbon footprint from driving their Airstream and contribute to a more beautiful natural world.”
“When people travel with their Airstream, it keeps them more in touch with nature and humanity. This raises their awareness of the importance of having a healthy environment.” — Airstream owner
Airstream to Underwrite Tree Planting
The Ohio-based company will directly underwrite the planting of an estimated 118,405 trees by the National Forest Foundation. Those trees are projected to help sequester the estimated carbon generated by the first year of driving of all new Airstream travel trailers and touring coaches manufactured in 2021, Wheeler said in the statement. That figure also includes the estimated carbon emitted during the manufacturing and transportation of Airstreams from the Jackson Center, Ohio, production facility to dealerships nationwide in 2021.
Nearly every Airstream owner asked — 96 percent — in a 2020 owner survey is concerned about the state of the environment. Said one survey participant: “When people travel with their Airstream, it keeps them more in touch with nature and humanity. This raises their awareness of the importance of having a healthy environment.”
Airstream travelers can purchase Carbon Reduction Kits to support the National Forest Foundation’s tree-planting program. (Airstream)
The estimated 118,405 trees required to sequester the targeted carbon was calculated from Airstream sales forecasts for 2021.
Contributors to the findings include the company’s internal customer usage study; greenhouse gas equivalency calculators by the Environmental Protection Agency; federal fuel-efficiency estimates for gasoline-powered vehicles; publicly reported estimates from Mercedes-Benz; an Airstream aerodynamics study; and tree carbon sequestration estimates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Carbon Reduction Kits
Caravan to Carbon Neutral also allows any Airstream owner to help sequester additional carbon emissions through the purchase of “Carbon Reduction Kits” from the National Forest Foundation through Airstream’s e-commerce website, Airstream Supply Co. Each Carbon Reduction Kit purchase is tax-deductible, with 100 percent of the proceeds directly supporting the forest foundation’s tree-planting program:
Silver ($50): plants 50 trees to sequester approximately 25 tons of carbon over the tree’s lifetime;
Gold ($100): plants 100 trees to sequester approximately 50 tons of carbon over the tree’s lifetime;
Platinum ($250): plants 250 trees to sequester approximately 125 tons of carbon over the tree’s lifetime.
Included with the purchase of a kit will be custom decals, flags to display on their Airstream, and a badge. Learn more at AirForums.com, an online resource for Airstream owners.
“We are dedicated to leaving our natural world better than we found it,” said Wheeler, who is an executive committee member on the board of directors for the non-profit National Forest Foundation.
“Addressing the causes of climate change is central to that mission,” he said. “Transportation accounts for an estimated 28 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S., so this is an area where we have a responsibility and an opportunity to lead. Research shows that RV vacations can produce less carbon as compared to similar airline, rental car, or hotel itineraries. But we felt that we needed to do more.”
This program provides an opportunity for Airstream travelers to get involved and give back by planting trees to support national forests for future generations, Mary Mitsos, National Forest Foundation president and CEO, said in the statement.
The carbon sequestration initiative opens a new frontier in Airstream’s efforts to reduce its overall environmental impact. Other efforts include that the electricity at the company’s production facility in Ohio is offset by renewable energy credits purchased through Jackson Center Municipal Power’s EcoSmart Choice program.
Certified Green Program
In addition, Airstream vehicles are Certified Green by TRA Certification, Inc., a third-party rating based on resource consumption, energy efficiency, water efficiency, and indoor air quality during the manufacturing process.
Airstream is also developing new concepts and partnering with global experts to reduce the resources used while camping, whether at a campsite or off the grid.
The company continues to focus on sustainable travel, including ways to make it easier for electric vehicles to tow an Airstream and further electrification of all of Airstream’s travel trailers.
For more information on the Caravan to Carbon Neutral initiative or Airstream, please visit the company’s social responsibility website.
