WASHINGTON: The Alliance for Climate Protection (ACP) plans to use the star power of its chairman, Al Gore, to generate media coverage of its efforts. It took a significant step July 17 when the former Vice President addressed an audience of more than 3,000 at Washington's Constitution Hall.

The HSUS plans to launch a campaign to encourage support for cage-free egg production by asking visitors of allcreatures.hsus.org to either only buy eggs that are not produced by caged hens; buy fewer eggs; or replace eggs with some sort of substitute.

LOS ANGELES: The Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners awarded two, three-year contracts June 19 to The Rogers Group, for $750,000, and Hill & Knowlton, for $600,000, for upcoming communications initiatives related to The Port of Los Angeles.

NEW YORK: Absolut was scheduled to initiate a lights out in Las Vegas June 21 as part of its "Global Cooling" campaign, launched in January, which aims to draw attention to the effects of global warming. With the support of AOR Ketchum, all the lights at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino were scheduled to go out for one minute at 9:30pm, including a momentary shut down of the Outernational Music Festival.

STRATHAM, NH: Timberland partnered with social networking site Changents to launch a new forum for environmental activists and further its CSR goals.