The
Better World Club provides services to motorists in the USA, and supports organizations seeking to reduce the environmental damage done by automobiles. BWC, which describes itself as "the nation's only
environmentally friendlyEnvironmentally friendly are synonyms used to refer to goods and services considered to inflict minimal or no harm on the environment. To make consumers aware, environmentally friendly goods and services often are marked with eco-labels...
auto club", offers a
bicycleA bicycle, also known as a bike, push bike or cycle, is a pedal-driven, human-powered vehicle with two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist or a bicyclist....
membership and
caterCater is a surname, and may refer to:*Monte Cater Head Coach, Shepherd College Rams*Danny Cater , Major League Baseball player*Jack Cater , Chief Secretary of Hong Kong*John Cater , English actor...
s to
hybrid vehicleA hybrid vehicle is a vehicle that uses two or more distinct power sources to move the vehicle. The term most commonly refers to hybrid electric vehicles , which combine an internal combustion engine and one or more electric motors.-Power:...
owners. Nationwide membership was just under 20,000 people as of June 2006. In comparison, the rival
American Automobile AssociationThe AAA , formerly known as the American Automobile Association, is a 50 million member North American not-for-profit automobile lobby group, service organization, and seller of vehicle insurance...
has 53 million members nationwide.
History
Better World Club was founded by longtime friends Mitch Rofsky and Todd Silberman. It began signing up members on June 4th 2002. Rofsky and Silberman grew up as friends in Ohio and each pursued separate careers related to environmental responsibility and travel before coming together to form Better World Club. The idea initially came from environmentalists who reported that AAA used anti-environment lobbying practices. When they approached Mitch Rofsky with the idea, he realized that there was an opportunity to successfully compete with AAA.
Emergency roadside assistance
Emergency roadside assistance is available to drivers of both automobiles and bicycles. A bicycle membership can be purchased separately or added onto an auto policy for a smaller additional fee. Services are available across all 50 states and DC the USA and Canada.
Automobile membership includes 4 service calls per year (defined as: towing, battery assistance, lockout assistance, flat tire assistance, fuel delivery or extrication) - if bicycle coverage is included these 4 calls can be split between auto and bike calls. Basic auto membership includes towing up to 5 miles, while the premium membership increases the limit to 100 miles. A bicycle-only membership provides service up to 30 miles annually with a limit of 2 service calls.
Travel products and services
Through TravelCool, Better World Club offers discounted travel with eco-friendly travel partners. Partners must emphasize
sustainable practicesSustainability, in a broad sense, is the capacity to endure. In ecology, the word describes how biological systems remain diverse and productive over time...
such as
recyclingRecycling involves processing used materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution and water pollution by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal, and lower...
and building environmental awareness.
Carbon offsetA carbon offset is a financial instrument aimed at a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon offsets are measured in metric tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent and may represent six primary categories of greenhouse gases...
s are included in the travel planning fee if a travel consultant is used. Discounts are available at eco-friendly lodgings, as well as at larger more well-known hotel chains. Discounts are also available on hybrid and
biodieselBiodiesel refers to a vegetable oil- or animal fat-based diesel fuel consisting of long-chain alkyl esters. Biodiesel is typically made by chemically reacting lipids with an alcohol....
rental cars, available in select cities.
Trip route planning as well as maps covering
North AmericaNorth America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and in the western hemisphere. It is bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southeast by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west by the North Pacific...
from the city level up through the national level are available free to all members. Maps and travel planners are ordered by phone or email and delivered by mail within 7-14 days.
Insurance products and services
Better World Insurance, headquartered in Cambridge, MA, offers auto insurance as well as
travel insuranceTravel Insurance is insurance that is intended to cover medical expenses and financial and other losses incurred while traveling, either within one's own country, or internationally....
. Carbon offsets are included free with the first year's auto insurance and offered for a nominal fee after that. Better World Insurance also advocates for pay-as-you-drive auto insurance, and offer it to customers in the limited locations where it is available.
Other benefits
Other member benefits include gas rebate coupons and discounts at other environmentally friendly companies both online and off. Hybrid car and biodiesel car owners receive a discount on membership (with
gas-guzzlersFuel usage in automobiles refers to the relationship between distance traveled by an automobile and the amount of fuel consumed. There are no quantities or units for fuel usage defined in the International Standard ISO 31 Quantities and Units, so the nationally-defined reciprocal quantities fuel...
that get less than 10mi/gal being charged an additional surcharge). All members are eligible to receive the monthly newsletter Kicking Asphalt, which includes news and information about environmental and travel related topics, new member discounts, and occasional calls for member activism. In order to preserve natural resources, this newsletter is distributed by email only.
Partners
Better World Club partners include:
Adventure Cycling AssociationAdventure Cycling Association was founded in 1973 under the name of Bikecentennial by Dan and Lys Burden and Greg and June Siple to create a cross country bicycle event to celebrate the bicentennial of the United States. More than 4,000 cyclists took part in the 1976 inaugural tours...
,
Car TalkCar Talk is a radio talk show broadcast weekly on National Public Radio stations throughout the United States and elsewhere. Its subjects are automobiles and repair, and it often takes humorous turns...
,
League of American BicyclistsThe League of American Bicyclists is a non-profit membership organization which promotes cycling for fun, fitness and transportation through advocacy and education....
,
National Wildlife FederationThe National Wildlife Federation is the United States' largest private, nonprofit conservation education and advocacy organization, with over 4 million members and supporters in 48 state-affiliated organizations...
,
Organic Consumers AssociationThe Organic Consumers Association is a consumer protection and organic agriculture advocacy group based in Finland, Minnesota. It was formed in 1998 in the wake of the mass backlash by organic consumers against the U.S. Department of Agriculture's controversial proposed regulations for organic food...
, and
Working AssetsWorking Assets, doing business as Credo, is an American company that offers mobile and long distance phone service and a credit card. Founded in 1985, the company is based in San Francisco, California. It has stated a goal of being socially responsible...
.