Street Roots • May 5-11,2017
DRAW DOW N, fro m page 4
At No. 34, biomass energy was deemed
necessary for transition away from fossil
fuels but would eventually need to be
phased out and replaced with cleaner
energy sources. Biomass energy is created
when pellets made from leftover logging
slash are burned.
Overall, however, most of the solutions
outlined in the book are environmentally
and socially beneficial, from water-saving
irrigation systems and protecting old-growth
forests to reducing global meat consumption
and closing the gender gap in
agriculture.
The plan’s authors used
only peer-reviewed data and
were conservative in their
predictions of how quickly
A gigaton is 1 billion metric
methods could be expanded
tons.
and the impact the expansions
That’s 166.66 million male
would have. For example, to
Asian elephants, weighing
calculate the benefits of hybrid
an average of 12,000
vehicles, they estimated
pounds each.
market growth to reach just 6
percent by 2050.
Or, if the average,
Hawken has focused much
untrained man can deadlift
of his career on the
155 pounds, it would take
relationship between business
12.9 billion men to lift a
and the environment. He’s
gigaton.
published several books
promoting a sustainable global
In 2016, about 36 gigatons
economy, and many of the
of carbon dioxide were
solutions outlined in
emitted into Earth’s
"Drawdown” have already
atmosphere.
proved their economic
feasibility.
The book concluded that
over the course of 30 years, it
would cost more money to
continue with the status quo
than it would to scale up the
implementation of the top 80
methods.
Omitted from its cost calculations,
however, are two of the most critical
solutions: educating women and family
planning. The book stated it would be
inappropriate to monetize these entries
because they are human rights.
If combined, these two intertwined
elements of the plan would take the No. 1
spot with 119.2 gigatons of CO2 equivalent
emissions avoided. That’s because when
girls and women are educated and have
access to family planning, they have fewer
children.
An excerpt from the "Women and Girls”
How heavy
is a gigaton?
News
chapter explains:
“Carbon footprints are a common and
comfortable topic. How many feet are
leaving their tracks is not, due largely to
concerns that linking family planning with
environmental health is inherently coercive
or cruel - Malthusian in the worst sense.
However, when family planning focuses on
healthcare provision and meeting women’s
expressed needs, empowerment, equality,
and well-being are the goal; benefits to the
planet are side effects.”
The solution that can avoid the greatest
amount of greenhouse gas emissions might
surprise you. Refrigerant management was
ranked as the No. 1 solution, with 89.7
gigatons of reduced CO2 equivalent
emission averted.
According to “Drawdown,” the
chemicals in your refrigerator and air
conditioner, known as hydrofluorocarbons
(HFCs), are the most potent greenhouse
gases known to man. They’re 1,000 to 9,000
times worse than CO2 when it comes to
their ability to warm the atmosphere,
depending on their composition.
The percentage of households around the
world that have air-conditioning units has
been increasing for years, and as
temperatures rise, the use of air-
conditioning is soaring.
As the plan states, “a great irony of
global warming is that the means of keeping
cool makes warming worse.”
Because 90 percent of each unit’s
emissions are released at end of life, proper
disposal is key. HFCs can be deconstructed
into non-warming agents or reused when
carefully removed from old appliances by
professionals. And 197 nations have agreed
to an amendment to the Montreal Protocol
that mandates they phase out these harmful
chemicals by 2028, beginning with wealthier
nations such as the U.S. in 2019.
Since the book’s release, Hawken has
been touring the U.S. to promote it, with
stops also planned in Paris and Oxford,
England, in early May.
On April 20, he stopped at the Natural
Capital Center in Portland for an event
hosted by Ecotrust, where he explained to
an audience of roughly 300 how the idea for
the plan originated.
He said that in 2001, he began to ask
experts if they knew what needed to
done to reverse global warming. No one
seemed to have the answers. Twelve years
See DRAW DOW N, page 7
Page 5
Solutions will require
action from everyone
Many aspects of Drawdown will require participation
on an individual level, as well as from community
leaders and governments. Here are ways you can
take personal responsibility:
Refrigerants: It’s against U.S. federal law to
improperly dispose of refrigerants. Go to oregonmetro.
gov to find a list of recyclers in your area that will take
your old air conditioning units, refrigerator or other
appliances that contain coolants.
Diet: Eat less meat, especially beef. The average
American eats 90 grams of protein per day, when
50 grams is the recommended
allowance, according to
“Drawdown.” Reducing global
meat consumption is critical for
the climate.
Food waste: Consumer behavior
is crucial for reducing food waste,
especially in countries such as the
United States. Don’t throw away food
just because the “sell by” of “best
before” date has passed. These labels indicate peak
flavor, not safety. Shop smart by planning meals,
using a list and avoiding impulse buys. Be realistic
about how much food your family will eat and plan a
“leftovers” night each week. When you do have
expired food, compost it.
Educate girls: It costs pennies a day to educate girls
in countries such as Afghanistan, Lebanon and the
Congo. Through International Rescue Committee, you
can send a girl to school for an entire year for just
$58, or support Tostan, Girls Not Brides and other
organizations working to empower women.
Family planning: Support Planned Parenthood, and
support politicians who support Planned Parenthood.
Transportation: You live
in Portland, a city
that makes
biking, owning
an electric
vehicle and
commuting
with public
transit much
more
convenient
than it is in
most U.S. cities. Time to get on board.
Activism: There are several proposed fossil fuel
expansion projects in the Pacific Northwest that
activists could use your help stopping. Go to 350pdx.
org or PortlandRisingTide.org to find out more.
Energy: Visit Energy Trust of Oregon at energytrust.
org to learn how to make your home more energy
efficient and about cash incentives for residential and
commercial solar projects. In 2016, legislation passed
in Salem will soon make solar more attainable for
many households with a community solar program
that’s still in the works. Households will be able to
share the costs of installing solar projects with other
grid users, and also share in the benefits. To save
costs on your energy bill without a large upfront
investment, qualifying lower-income households can
get a free weatherization kit from Portland’s
Community Energy Project. The nonprofit will resume
weatherization workshops in the fall.