Revisit Project Drawdown
By Caitlin Marshall
Did you know we already have what it takes to meet the climate crisis? You’ve probably heard this before, but it’s worth revisiting on a sweltering hot day with wildfire smoke in the air. Maybe you too could use a little reminder that we have all the tools in hand.
If so, head on over to Project Drawdown, drawdown.org. This resource is an easy to explore hub of over 100 climate solutions built on a decade of research.
Scoring Climate Solutions
Project Drawdown’s greatest strength is in prioritizing. Building on research-backed science, the team scores a huge array of climate solutions for emissions reductions, scalability, ease of adoption, and other metrics that help us decide: will this take a big chunk out of global warming? And can we actually do this? Using the solutions explorer tool on the website, you can easily see which solutions can make a big impact now.
The top contenders for the biggest impact?
Large scale solar, large-scale wind, and eating more plants, less meat.
When we’re feeling overwhelmed with the enormity of the problem, it is steadying to see clearly where our efforts should focus. This is why increased adoption of solar energy has long been a focus at PCAT. Picking a tactic and sticking with it has led to success (Portland’s array on the old landfill) and shapes ongoing efforts (adding solar to schools).
At the same time, the breadth of solutions analyzed points to another key truth about solving the climate crisis. There is no one single solution! Fortunately, that means there is something for everyone.
I’m a Luddite, and wildly enthusiastic about plants. So, I’m energized by the array of solutions that include ecosystem restoration and protection.
By contrast, my dad grew up on the “Jetsons” and can’t get enough of whiz-bang tech. For him, electric cars and wind turbines are exciting.
When we find a solution that we personally resonate with, it becomes easier to pick up the phone to call a legislator, or write that letter to the editor, or go to the town meetings where the important decisions are happening.
We can both use the science as a reality check.
Maybe he would get excited about “stratospheric aerosol injection”, or I would about “sinking ocean biomass” – but we can quickly review those and see why they’re each too risky.
As ever, the biggest hurdle is adoption. Inertia, fear of change, and good old-fashioned greed are big, big roadblocks. But with a clear understanding of the better world that’s possible, and working alongside our neighbors, we can find that better path forward.
Bright Ideas is brought to you by PCAT, which meets the fourth Tuesday of the month, 6 to 7:30 p.m. All are welcome!
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