As part of an innovative solution to combat climate change, ABSOLUT® and The Ocean Foundation have teamed up to restore sea grass beds in coastal areas around major metropolitan areas. Similar to the positive effects of planting trees on land, planting sea grass will help increase the rate at which near-shore coastal shelves sequester carbon from the atmosphere.

This project will enable a minimum of half an acre of sea grass bed to be replanted or reseeded in U.S. coastal areas, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, New York and Miami. The monetary donation from ABSOLUT will go directly to The Ocean Foundation's Ocean and Climate Change Fund. One dollar will help to restore approximately two square feet of sea grass bed. To learn more, visit www.oceanfdn.org.

In a unique effort to help cool the earth and fight climate change, ABSOLUT® and The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation will create "ABSOLUT Global Cooling Zones." To accomplish this mission, fruit trees will be planted in metropolitan areas to offset carbon dioxide emissions, including in regions devastated by natural disasters. Representing popular ABSOLUT flavors, including ABSOLUT® PEARS, ABSOLUT® RUBY RED, ABSOLUT® APEACH,® ABSOLUT® MANDRIN® and ABSOLUT® CITRON, regional fruit tree groves of 30 to 60 trees will be strategically located in greenways and publicly-accessible spaces. These groves represent a bold statement of commitment by ABSOLUT to preserve our planet and motivate others to take action.

The monetary donation from ABSOLUT will be used by The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation to identify areas in need and to begin replanting in affected locations; areas being considered include New Orleans (Hurricane Katrina); Southern California (wildfires); Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Hurricane Ivan flooding, 2004); and Franklin, Virginia (1999 and 2006 flooding). Additional areas will be located around Seattle, Chicago, New York and Miami. To learn more, visit www.ftpf.org.

Did you know that during the course of a year, a reusable shopping bag can replace more than 1,000 plastic bags? In an effort to reduce the use of disposable plastic shopping bags and engage consumers to rethink how their actions affect the environment, ABSOLUT® and the Environmental Media Association have commissioned celebrities Rosario Dawson and Zachary Levi to create stylish, reusable tote bags and encourage their use for all shopping. The unconventional, artistic spirit of ABSOLUT will inspire the designs.

The limited first run of these bags will be distributed free of charge in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, Austin and San Francisco. The monetary donation from ABSOLUT will go directly to the Environmental Media Association for the design and production of the bags, mobilizing the entertainment industry in a global effort to educate people about environmental issues and inspire them into action. To learn more about the Environmental Media Association, visit www.ema-online.org.