Volvo Drives for a Healthier Planet

5 April 2000

Volvo Drives for a Healthier Planet; Volvo Cars and Columbia University's BioSphere 2 Encourages Environmental Improvements

    SAN DIEGO--April 5, 2000--As the world becomes increasingly populated and contaminated, Volvo Cars of North America lives up to their long-lived reputation of environmental care by sponsoring The Drive for a Healthier Planet.
    Volvo and Columbia University's BioSphere 2, the largest closed ecological system in the world, are sponsoring The Drive for a Healthier Planet program. Through this program, the two companies hope to inspire individuals and groups to take an active, ongoing role in developing environmental projects that benefit their communities.
    The program began a few months ago when Volvo contacted 500 schools, youth and environmental organizations in the San Diego area to encourage participation in The Drive for a Healthier Planet. School groups were encouraged to choose one of the suggested clean up programs or develop their own project. The suggested projects included Neighborhood Clean-up, Recycling Drive, Mapping of a Natural Area or Adopt a Stream/Beach. All of the four-week projects encourage the organizations to develop objectives, an action plan, a timeline and results.
    Volvo has narrowed the groups to 16 preliminary finalists. Those 16 groups will be awarded Volvo Eco Grants for $500 to achieve their project goals at the kick-off event on Saturday, April 8, 2000 at 11:00 a.m. The event will be held at the San Diego Volvo dealership in Kearney-Mesa, San Diego, and will be hosted by Wes Hinkle, general manager of San Diego Volvo. Marjory MacFarlane, vice president administration and business development for BioSphere 2, will speak to the groups about environmental awareness.
    "The Drive for a Healthier Planet is a wonderful opportunity for young people to experience positive teamwork while learning how to care for the Earth's environment," said Johan Von Porat, special projects manager with Volvo. "I hope these future leaders will take with them a sense of what the world should be like instead of what it is like."
    When the four-week Drive is over, the winning organization will receive a trip to BioSphere 2, located in Oracle, Ariz.
    The Drive for a Healthier Planet is dedicated to education, action and results of all environmental issues. The partnership between Volvo Cars and the Columbia University's BioSphere 2 will inspire individuals and groups to take an active, ongoing role in developing environmental projects to benefit their communities. The project will be launching its own website at www.Volvo-TheDrive.com on Earth Day, April 22. For more information regarding The Drive for a Healthier Planet, please contact: Johan Von Porat, special projects manager for Volvo Cars of North America at 949/753-9535.