Within 16 days of its founding, the class had succeeded in meeting Dr. Ulrich's challenge: 150 TerraPasses had already been sold, making it a profitable company.

Today, nine students (with the help of Dr. Ulrich and a few others) are still with the company and committed to both preserving the environment and making TerraPass a household name.

Where the Money Goes
The money generated by TerraPass sales is directed into three major areas: wind power, methane abatement, and industrial efficiency. One of the major avenues for wind power proponents is to allow people to select a "green power" option as an alternative and environmentally-friendly way of obtaining energy from utility companies. Methane abatement is a way of dealing with harmful landfill gasses by means of anaerobic digestion.

Finally, industrial efficiency is sought through markets such as the Chicago Climate Exchange, which institutes a cap and trade system via willing industrial participants. "It's a voluntary framework that adheres to the Kyoto Protocol and seeks to reduce carbon emissions," Arnold said. "It's a place where companies can come together to find common solutions to our environmental problems."

"We're seeking to combine a belief in scientific research with a broad-based approach to solving our environmental problems."

The Future
While TerraPass won't solve all of the world's environmental problems, Arnold believes that it can have a major impact. "TerraPass can solve global warming," he said. "But local issues - such as the smog problem in Los Angeles - will require additional solutions."

TerraPass sees itself as more than a student-run one-trick pony, however. As the company is listed under the name Benven LLC (short for Beneficial Ventures), Arnold says that there are a number of new environmentally-friendly initiatives in the works.

Arnold sees a bright future for TerraPass, and for other environmental-for-profit companies as well. "Social entrepreneurship is a growth industry. People are attracted to companies dedicated to making the world a better place."

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