The Better World Club (BWC) provides services to motorists in the United States and supports organizations seeking to reduce the environmental damage done by automobiles. BWC, which describes itself as "the nation's only environmentally friendly auto club", offers a bicycle membership and caters to hybrid vehicle owners. Nationwide membership was just under 20,000 people as of June 2006. In comparison, the rival American Automobile Association 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 4, 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.

Member services

Emergency roadside assistance

Emergency

roadside assistance Roadside assistance, also known as breakdown coverage, is a service that assists motorists, motorcyclists, or bicyclists whose vehicles have suffered a mechanical failure that either cannot be resolved by the motorist, or has prevented them from ...

is available to drivers of both automobiles and

bicycles A bicycle, also called a pedal cycle, bike or cycle, is a human-powered or motor-powered assisted, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A is called a cyclist, or bicyclist. Bi ...

. 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 Environment friendly processes, or environmental-friendly processes (also referred to as eco-friendly, nature-friendly, and green), are sustainability and marketing terms referring to goods and services, laws, guidelines and policies that clai ...

travel partners. Partners must emphasize sustainable practices such as

recycling Recycling is the process of converting waste materials into new materials and objects. The recovery of energy from waste materials is often included in this concept. The recyclability of a material depends on its ability to reacquire the p ...

and building environmental awareness.

Carbon offset A carbon offset is a reduction or removal of emissions of carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases made in order to compensate for emissions made elsewhere. Offsets are measured in tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalent (CO2e). One ton of carb ...

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

biodiesel Biodiesel is a form of diesel fuel derived from plants or animals and consisting of long-chain fatty acid esters. It is typically made by chemically reacting lipids such as animal fat ( tallow), soybean oil, or some other vegetable oil ...

rental cars, available in select cities. Trip route planning as well as maps covering North America 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 Cambridge ( ) is a College town, university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cam ...

, Massachusetts, offers

auto insurance Vehicle insurance (also known as car insurance, motor insurance, or auto insurance) is insurance for cars, trucks, motorcycles, and other road vehicles. Its primary use is to provide financial protection against physical damage or bodily injur ...

as well as

travel insurance Travel insurance is an insurance product for covering unforeseen losses incurred while travelling, either internationally or domestically. Basic policies generally only cover emergency medical expenses while overseas, while comprehensive policies ...

. 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-guzzlers that get less than 10 mi/gal being charged an additional surcharge).* Gonzales, Cristine
Where the gas is greener – New auto club aims to take on AAA and offer environmental kickbacks
, ''Portland Tribune'', April 26, 2002, retrieved January 31, 2007 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 Association Adventure Cycling Association is a nonprofit member organization focused on travel by bicycle (bicycle touring). Headquartered in Missoula, Montana, Adventure Cycling develops cycling routes, publishes maps, provides guided trips, and advocates ...

, '' Car Talk'',

League of American Bicyclists The League of American Bicyclists (LAB), officially the League of American Wheelmen, is a membership organization that promotes cycling for fun, fitness and transportation through advocacy and education. A Section 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizat ...

, National Wildlife Federation,

Organic Consumers Association The Organic Consumers Association (OCA) is a non-profit advocacy group for the organic agriculture industry based in Minnesota. The organization's members include subscribers to their online newsletters, volunteers, supporters, and retail outlets ...

, Washington Area Bicycle Association, and Working Assets.

References

External links

* {{Official website, http://www.betterworldclub.com/ Companies based in Portland, Oregon Financial services companies established in 2002 Automobile associations in the United States 2002 establishments in Oregon Emergency road services