He told me about Envirosurfer, the company behind the Green Surf Shop, giving 5% of their July sales to the Nature Conservancy’s Fund for Gulf Coast Restoration to support their ocean clean-up initiative.

I knew nothing about this “online eco-friendly surf shop,” until he reached out. What I learned, I liked.

They opened in 2009 after realizing the need for the surf industry to reduce its reliance on petroleum based surf products.

“Envirosurfer was created to provide environmentally conscious surfers with eco friendly surf products that will not only support their surfing but help them have a positive impact on the planet too.”

Now we’re not talking a behemoth outdoor gear company like Patagonia, Columbia or Teva here. We’re talking about some surfer dudes from San Diego who have the chutzpa to fill a market need, and the eco-charisma to make a difference.

According to founder, Brandon Moyles,

“I examine the production process of the products we carry, making sure they’re manufactured in an earth friendly way. We don’t just promote products that claim to be eco-friendly, we actually go back to the production process to make sure that the claims that manufacturers make really are safe for the environment.”

Every month Envirosurfer donates 5% of their sales to an environmental cause, in their own way doing their own small part. I like that. I suppose it’s a bit like tossing a pebble into that immense oil slick. But even pebbles create ripples, and a growing ring of influence. When you think about it, it’s the the Envirosurfer’s of the world – the hundreds of thousands of small businesses – that are going to make the greatest impact on this planet.

So why not toss your pennies into Envirosurfer’s pool this month – or any small company with an ambition to change the world – and make your dollars count.

Now, as an aside, when it comes to surfing and music, I’m no Jack Johnson. But I did write a little ditty about the BP spill called, “If I Only Had a Drain.”

Surf’s up!