| | Top Story We've Jump Started Our Blog!!! Newsletters Are So Yesterday! 
We've decided to take our blog -- that has been sitting in the garage -- and jump start it! Rev its engine and get it blazing down the road! And we want you to hop on for the ride.
Here at BWC we have taken an oath to blow your mind with an onslaught of incredible blog posts. It's going to be like when the iPhone 6 came out -- but only better because our blog won't warp!
With our blog you will get Kicking Asphalt and more! That's right, the same as the newsletter. Same attitude. Same information. Same humor. But now 5 times a week! Topics we are excited to discuss on our blog will be sustainable living, green technology, economic change, political "hot topics" and the like. Could it get any more exciting? We don't think so! We will be sharing our opinions (hmm...is there enough room?), our thoughts (for free), and our findings (look a rock!) with all of you! We have joined forces with other quirky experienced bloggers in the industry and are looking forward to keeping a finger on the pulse of all things transportation and all things green...and anything else we feel like for that matter. You will enjoy a special treat from our own CEO here at BWC (who you can read on occasion at The Huffington Post, but now you can find him here weekly!). Mitch combines the sagacity of Weird Al Yankovich with the wit of George Will (Or is it the other way around? No, that sounds right).  But wait! Green Tech Wednesdays are sure to be a favorite! We can't wait to sink our teeth into some serious cutting edge information with this one. Like uncovering where to get an electric long board, or exploring nuclear fission, or how to teleport to work instead of driving. OK, so that last one is pretty futuristic...but in 100 years it won't be, and that's how long we plan to write this blog. We will also have a Friday blog that is dedicated to sustainable living and promises to seek out all the hot new inventions and cool tips on how to make your life greener -- how to align your environmental ideals with your day-to-day activities. Say like: how to make a nudist costume out of nothing -- a.k.a. the ultimate sustainable costume. We hope you will join the fun, quirky and interesting conversations we create online via our blog, and visit it regularly to get the scoop from our BWC blogging community. Go To BWC Blog!!!  Climate Summit 2014 -- An Overdue Affair "We Deserve To Do More Than Survive, We Deserve To Thrive" – Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner  Motivation came in the form of extreme weather, but at least it came. The 2014 Climate Summit, well over due, was the first of its kind in five years. Among the big take-away moments of the Summit was when 120 world leaders were upstaged by a 26-year-old poet.
Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner was chosen from over 500 candidates to represent civil society. It was this woman's poem, this woman from the low-lying Marshall Islands (a small nation in the western Pacific), that marked the most powerful moment of the entire summit. Essentially, Jetnil-Kijiner's poem shamed the world leaders for not acting fast enough. Watch her deliver her moving poem here:
http://youtu.be/mc_IgE7TBSY
Before Jetnil-Kijiner read her impressive poem, she took a moment to make a statement on climate change, saying:
 "Climate change not only affects us islanders, it threatens the entire world. To tackle it we need a radical change of course. This isn't easy. I know. It means ending carbon pollution within my lifetime. It means supporting those of us most affected to prepare for unavoidable climate impacts. And it means taking responsibility for irreversible loss and damage caused by greenhouse gas emissions."
In a nutshell, she scolded 120 world leaders, and even Leonardo DiCaprio who was there to do a cameo.
Hopefully, they got the message and hopefully Jetnil-Kijiner's powerful poem helps galvanize and catalyze climate action.
The intense heat waves, large wildfires, rising sea levels, and destructive typhoons have sent a clear enough message…Jetnil-Kijiner has urged us to listen.
The Climate Summit of 2014 provided a unique opportunity for leaders to champion an ambitious vision, anchored in action that will enable a meaningful global agreement in 2015.
Read More About Climate Summit 2014
Related: SoCal Energy Summit
And Remember to Tell a friend about BWC! | | Other News Washington Watch
Climate Summit
AAA Watch
AAA Opens Own Auto Repair Shops
Member Alert
Massachusetts Insurance From BWC
Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is
GreenHome.com
Travel Site of the Month
Tiny Atlas Quarterly
Share Kicking Asphalt | Member Alert Hey Massachusetts Members!! BWC offers car insurance as well! We realize there's more to life than roadside assistance: there's auto insurance too!
For over 15 years we've offered excellent rates and award-winning service on auto and homeowner's insurance throughout the Commmonwealth!
Isn't it time you checked out our great rates on auto and homeowner's insurance today? Our low-mileage drivers receive tremendous discounts because if you don't drive a lot, you shouldn't pay a lot.
Here is what we offer:
Low Rates
We want to make it easy for you to discover a bargain policy that fits your needs. The savings are really significant if you drive less than 7500 miles a year.
Even Lower Rates
We are also offering even better rates should you opt to get homeowner's, renter's or condo insurance with your auto policy.
Free Roadside Assistance
You're paying for your Better World Club membership now. Buy an auto policy and you'll get a Basic Membership Free!
Better Roadside Assistance
Most auto insurance companies with roadside assistance plans cover the vehicle and not the driver. We provide our members with the security they deserve no matter the vehicle they're traveling in.
Free Carbon Offsets
We will also be offsetting the carbon generated by your first 2,000 miles of driving. Less paperwork.
At Better World, it's about less paperwork and more savings! --- which is why we are offering you even better rates should you opt to get homeowners, renters or condo insurance as well.
You know it's a Better World when your insurance deals keep getting better! So, act now to enjoy the simplicity, the ease, and the value of this opportunity.
Call 617-876-5300 or go to betterworldclub.com/insurance for a free no obligation quote today!
Website 
| | | | AAA Watch AAA's Decision to Open Own Auto Repair Shops Alienates Smaller Shops, Creates Major Controversy  Is going into direct competition with longtime AAA auto repair shops good business or bad business for AAA?
Many of these shops have been in business with AAA for years, now they face a tough decision: give valuable information over to a direct competitor or sever their membership with AAA and face a drastic loss in business.
In order to continue to grow their monopoly AAA has opened their own auto repair shops – known as AAA Care Care, or CCIT shops. These shops are in direct competition with every AAA approved auto repair shop. AAA started their Approved Auto Repair (AAR) program in 1975. In its formative years AAR was about guiding consumers to upstanding auto repair services. Today, it has become more about advertising and exploiting the dedicated mechanic shops that have been supporting AAA for years. AAA's current direction has and is going to hurt a lot of smaller repair shops. This hasn't settled well for many in the auto industry, not just because of the new competition but because the competition has a rather unfair advantage...and seems they are not afraid to exploit that either. To top that off, new terms for AAR membership includes: turning over their customers' information and increased membership fees. What this would mean, is that AAA would have valuable information of a company they are in direct competition with. Kenneth Quasney, president of Auto Sense, doesn't think this seems fair at all. "After years of providing excellent services to AAA, they have decided to build and manage their own service centers," says Quasney. "For the last 3 years (maybe longer), they have assured their approved service centers they would NOT route vehicles to their managed (AAA) repair centers. This in our opinion is not what's happening. They have built a business off of the backs of our members and now wish to end run them. I am not an approved service center myself. I saw this coming years ago and refused to participate. However, many of our members are refusing to renew their membership with AAA. They feel that AAA is after their Data Base (the approved service center)." Is this story about survival for AAA? Are they simple doing what they need to do to expand and maintain a successful business or have they gone beyond that? Read More On Our Blog AAA Care Care Center Locations in the Mid-Atlantic
| Hillsboro, Oregon Hillsboro is the greenest of any 'Green Power Community' in the nation, EPA says  The Pacific Northwest has always tooted its own horn when it comes to being green – and, no, not just when it comes to its awesome foliage. The Pacific Northwest long been on the forefront of sustainability. And now, the EPA has given them the kudos they need to be down right snooty about it too! The EPA recently deemed Hillsboro the greenest of any "Green Power Community" in the nation.
The crown comes as a result of the Environmental Protection Agency's fourth-annual competition: The Green Power Community Challenge.
Hillsboro scooped the number one spot by using the highest percentage of sustainable power, according to results just over 50 percent of the city's total electricity use comes from green power. Second place straggled in at 40 percent – this was awarded to Brookeville, Md.
Fifty-three communities nationwide competed in the challenge. To qualify, a municipality had to be certified as an EPA "Green Power Community" for meeting the agency's minimum standards for power usage. Green power is electricity from renewable sources such as wind, solar or low-impact hydropower.
Read More.
| | Vagabond Vans vag·a·bond, ˈvagəˌbänd/ noun -
a person who wanders from place to place without a home or job.  Vagabond Vans is one of BWC's newest, coolest fleet clients. They are a Portland based rental agency that has converted mini vans into mini-RV's.
Rates start at $49.99/day. Here is their story: "Wanderers and wonderers. That's us. For ten years we traveled the globe, logging stories, simmering on ideas, celebrating our experiences along the way. Chicago, New York, Vietnam, New Zealand, Poland, Israel – between the three of us we've covered some ground. Now that we're ready to plant some roots and officially call Portland home, we wanted to find a way to preserve and more importantly share our sense of adventure. Hence the creation of Vagabond Vans.  "We invest where it matters most; reliability, function and comfort. Each vehicle has been thoroughly inspected and is well maintained. Additionally, Toyota Previas are known for their dependability and have an almost cult like following. Our custom interior is designed to maximize space while providing essential features, making them perfect for camping in an urban environment or remote wilderness."
Vagabond Vans are clean, simple and fun. They are both practical and quirky. They allow you to camp anywhere on your schedule. So, whether you've been craving a long weekend getaway or have a month to travel up and down the Pacific Coast Highway, Vagabond Vans will allow you to take the trips you've been dreaming of without breaking the bank.
Rent a Vagabond Van for your next adventure. Rates starting at $49.99/Day. Visit Vagabondvans.com and Start Your Adventure Today Login to Member Discounts. | | Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is GreenHome.com Has It Going On! Looking for more ways to live a green, clean lifestyle? GreenHome.com will show you the way!  Green Home has a plethora of green ideas for you whether you live in suburban house, rural ranch house, or an apartment. No matter who you are or what kind of life you live Green Home has fun green tips for everyone. Products include: Organic Merino Wool Mattress Topper, Tall 13 Gallon Food Scrap Bags Compostable, Bidematic - Hot & Cold Water Bidet System, and Reusable Mesh Produce Bags. Tips include: how to get rid of that mold in your home, Greenhome: certified B Corp, make your own: compost tea, eco-friendly k9s and felines, and solar freakin' roadways. Visit Greenhome.com and learn more. Interested in more cool green products? Check this list of Top 10 Eco-Friendly Products out! You will sure find something cool, decorative and/or useful while maintaining your green mission. | | | | Travel Site Of The Month 
What we love: A roster of talented photographers relay the essence of a place through portraiture, landscape, and mini library shoots — delivering travel narratives over the course of several beautiful images. Editor-in-chief Emily Nathan travels for the ghost of Isla Negra (Pablo Neruda's house of collections overlooking the Pacific), which compels her to add to her own shell and miniature landscape painting collections. - See more at: http://fathomaway.com/slideshow/fathom-2014-best-travel-blogs-and-websites/9/#sthash.GUkwD8n7.dpuf What we love: A roster of talented photographers relay the essence of a place through portraiture, landscape, and mini library shoots — delivering travel narratives over the course of several beautiful images. Editor-in-chief Emily Nathan travels for the ghost of Isla Negra (Pablo Neruda's house of collections overlooking the Pacific), which compels her to add to her own shell and miniature landscape painting collections. - See more at: http://fathomaway.com/slideshow/fathom-2014-best-travel-blogs-and-websites/9/#sthash.GUkwD8n7.dpuf What we love: A roster of talented photographers relay the essence of a place through portraiture, landscape, and mini library shoots — delivering travel narratives over the course of several beautiful images. Editor-in-chief Emily Nathan travels for the ghost of Isla Negra (Pablo Neruda's house of collections overlooking the Pacific), which compels her to add to her own shell and miniature landscape painting collections. - See more at: http://fathomaway.com/slideshow/fathom-2014-best-travel-blogs-and-websites/9/#sthash.GUkwD8n7.dpuf What we love: A roster of talented photographers relay the essence of a place through portraiture, landscape, and mini library shoots — delivering travel narratives over the course of several beautiful images. Editor-in-chief Emily Nathan travels for the ghost of Isla Negra (Pablo Neruda's house of collections overlooking the Pacific), which compels her to add to her own shell and miniature landscape painting collections. - See more at: http://fathomaway.com/slideshow/fathom-2014-best-travel-blogs-and-websites/9/#sthash.GUkwD8n7.dpuf What we love: A roster of talented photographers relay the essence of a place through portraiture, landscape, and mini library shoots — delivering travel narratives over the course of several beautiful images. Editor-in-chief Emily Nathan travels for the ghost of Isla Negra (Pablo Neruda's house of collections overlooking the Pacific), which compels her to add to her own shell and miniature landscape painting collections. - See more at: http://fathomaway.com/slideshow/fathom-2014-best-travel-blogs-and-websites/9/#sthash.GUkwD8n7.dpuf What we love: A roster of talented photographers relay the essence of a place through portraiture, landscape, and mini library shoots — delivering travel narratives over the course of several beautiful images.
Editor-in-chief Emily Nathan travels for the ghost of Isla Negra (Pablo Neruda's house of collections overlooking the Pacific), which compels her to add to her own shell and miniature landscape painting collections.
Tinyatlasquarterly.com | | Not a Member of Better World Club? BWC's Member Discounts More Than Pay for a Membership! Our discounts can more than pay for your membership. BWC members save money through hotel, car rental, travel, or other discounts. Join Better World Club now and get in on the savings! Use this link and we'll even throw in a 10% discount on Better World membership.
And Remember to Tell a friend about BWC! | | | | | Have a comment, rant, or suggestion? Email us! | | |
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