Patagonia's new activism platform finds you convenient ways to save the planet

Image: screengrab via patagonia/youtube

By Nicole Gallucci2018-02-07 17:33:36 UTC

Patagonia is giving customers a new and convenient way to take part in environmental activism.

The outdoor clothing company has launched Patagonia Action Works, a digital platform that informs people of local activism opportunities in the categories of land, water, climate, communities, and biodiversity, so they can easily take action and help preserve the planet.

"If you've been paying attention, you'll know that things aren't going very well for the planet," Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard explained in a promo video for the platform, which went live Wednesday. "It's pretty easy to get depressed about it. I've always known that the cure for depression is action."

Chouinard explained that Patagonia Action Works was inspired by recent setbacks in the fight for environmental protection.

Since President Donald Trump took office, he's pulled the United States out of the Paris Climate Agreement, cut funding for the Environmental Protection Agency, shown a general misunderstanding (and straightforward denial) of climate change, reduced two national monuments in Utah by nearly 2 million acres, and taken many other more troubling actions that have directly impacted the scientific community.

"Patagonia's reason for existence is to force government and corporations to take action in solving our environmental problems," Chouinard emphasized to customers.

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With Patagonia's new platform, getting involved is as simple as visiting the Action Works website and typing in your city and state.

The company will present you with a variety of nearby events, petitions, volunteer opportunities, and local causes in need of donations, so you can easily find the issues and actions you want to pursue.

For example, if you're based in New York City, you can learn how to support the Waterkeeper Alliance, a nonprofit focused on ensuring people have access to clean water; Cafeteria Culture, a group that works towards achieving zero-waste in schools; or City Growers, a Brooklyn nonprofit that educates children on agriculture.

"If we could connect our community, friends, and customers directly with local groups working on issues they are passionate about, suddenly these organizations would have the capacity to achieve even more," said Lisa Pike Sheehy, vice president of environmental activism at Patagonia, in the promotional video.

"Everybody has a role to play in this movement."

Patagonia's history of action

While Patagonia Action Works is the company's latest effort in the realm of environmental activism and justice, the company has been working to positively impact the planet for four decades.

Patagonia and its business program 1% for the Planet has raised nearly $90 million for environmental organizations worldwide, recently making headlines for its efforts to combat the actions of Trump's administration.

In 2016 the company turned Black Friday into an opportunity to help save the planet, promising to donate the entirety of its record-breaking $10 million in sales to "underfunded and under the radar" grassroots environmental groups that are "working on the frontlines to protect our air, water, and soil for future generations." Patagonia also partnered with Google in March 2017 to release a VR film series of public lands in attempt to raise awareness of the threatened land. The interactive 360-degree videos showcased the beauty of Utah's Bears Ears National Monument, while also highlighting the history and importance of the five Native American tribes who live there.

And who could forget Patagonia's response to President Trump announcing government plans to dramatically reduce the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments? The company boldly transformed its homepage into a call for action, singling out Trump and informing people of the beauty and history of the land he's putting in jeopardy.

With the new Patagonia Action Works platform, Patagonia doesn't seem to be slowing down its efforts to raise environmental awareness in 2018 by any means.

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