Esurance Partners With NativeEnergy to Build Laurelbrook Farm Compost Project

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 15, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Esurance, the direct-to-consumer personal auto insurance company, recently announced the purchase of offsets from the new Laurelbrook Farm Compost Project, a project which is estimated to prevent more than 15,000 tons of greenhouse gas pollution over the next ten years - an amount equivalent to the CO2 emissions from 31,646 barrels of oil consumed.(1)

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Since 2009, Esurance has teamed with NativeEnergy to offset policyholder carbon emissions and electricity use in each of their 14 office locations. Now, as a supporter of the Laurelbrook Farm Project, Esurance is helping provide vital funding for the family-owned farm in East Canaan, Connecticut. Through NativeEnergy's innovative HelpBuild™ model, Esurance is able to purchase a share of the verified emissions reductions that the project will produce over a ten-year period.

"Nothing gives us more satisfaction than working with excellent companies to address their climate impact by bringing new projects into being. Working together with one of the top names in car insurance and a local family farm, we're making a difference," said Jeff Bernicke, president of NativeEnergy.

Founded in 1948 and managed by the Jacquier family for three generations, Laurelbrook Dairy Farm began composting manure on a limited basis three years ago. Now, with the help of NativeEnergy and supporting companies like Esurance, Laurelbrook has installed a more efficient and reliable separation technology that will avoid the methane pollution typically resulting from the storage of dairy manure.

Robert Jacquier, who oversees the farm, said: "We believe the composting operation is the best way to take full advantage of the nutrients in the waste stream while significantly reducing the environmental threat posed by manure decomposition and nutrient run-off. It's a difficult time to operate a dairy farm, but we take pride in taking the best care of our animals and being good stewards of the land."

With its offset purchase, Esurance continues to address greenhouse gas emissions from their offices' electricity use and corporate travel, while simultaneously helping to further the technology available to family farms.

"For over a decade Esurance has focused on reducing its environmental impact through operational initiatives such as our 'paperless experience' for consumers, and engaging with local communities by supporting urban reforestation programs," said Esurance President and CEO, Gary Tolman. "By working with NativeEnergy on the Laurelbrook Farm project, we are able to reduce pollution from greenhouse gases, offset our carbon footprint, and help promote sustainable and ethical farming practices."

Esurance invites companies, individuals, and the wider community to learn more about their own global warming emissions and take steps to reduce and offset their impact by visiting NativeEnergy.

Learn more about Esurance's environmental initiatives.

About NativeEnergy

NativeEnergy is a climate solutions innovator and recognized leader in offering services that reduce carbon emissions to fight global warming, create sustainable jobs, and reduce our country's dependence on fossil fuels. By helping finance construction of Native American, family farm, and community-based renewable energy and carbon reduction projects with NativeEnergy's Help Build^™ carbon offsets, our customers help at-risk local communities build sustainable economies. For more information visit: www.nativeenergy.com.

About Esurance®  

Esurance, a subsidiary of White Mountains Insurance Group, Ltd. (NYSE: WTM), provides personal car insurance direct to consumers online and through select agents, including sister company Answer Financial. Because of Esurance's virtually paperless online customer experience, Esurance car insurance customers have saved thousands of trees since the company's inception. As of the end of first quarter 2010, Esurance has also helped plant and maintain over 92,000 trees by supporting a variety of urban reforestation programs. Esurance is also committed to safeguarding the environment through its own operational practices, including a fleet of hybrid claims vehicles and investment in carbon reduction projects to offset the electricity used in each of its permanent office locations.

Over the years, Esurance's environmental initiatives have earned the company awards and recognition. For the past two years, Esurance has earned a position within U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Green Power Leadership Club for its purchase of renewable energy credits to offset 100% of its electricity use. For more information about Esurance's green initiatives, visit: http://www.esurance.com/environment

(1) Results from the EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator - http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-resources/calculator.html

SOURCE Esurance