Letter: Take steps to reverse global warming with Drawdown EcoChallenge

Graphic by Lori Deaton

When you read about climate news, what feelings do you feel? Stress? Anxiety? Anger? Sadness? Frustration? Existential dread?! Or other negative emotions that don’t serve you or the world? You are not alone! Asheville High School environmental science students also feel these feelings. Let’s change that!

Few people know that the solutions to reverse global warming have been identified! Yes, you read that correctly! We know how to reverse global warming! And better yet, these solutions are increasing in use with every passing day!

Project Drawdown is a team of academics who have used peer-reviewed scientific research to identify, map, model and quantify the solutions to reverse global warming. Solutions are not just “pie in the sky” solutions, like installing solar panels on your house, but many are solutions you can practice daily, like reducing food waste and eating a more plant-rich diet.

Drawdown is the moment in the future when we are drawing down, or sequestering, more greenhouse gases (like carbon dioxide and methane) out of the atmosphere than we are emitting into it. More information about the solutions can be found on the Project Drawdown website (drawdown.org).

The Asheville High School Environmental Science program invites you, Western North Carolina, to join us in a three-week engagement competition, the Drawdown EcoChallenge, which is rooted in learning about and practicing the solutions to reverse global warming. The challenge runs from Wednesday, Nov. 18, through Wednesday, Dec. 9.

Let’s see for ourselves the positive impacts we make individually and collectively! Take leadership or partner up with a friend to create a team for your school, faith community, sports team, office, business or family. Then recruit friends, family and co-workers to participate. Go to [avl.mx/8n4] for more information and tutorial videos. Follow @AHSsolarCougars on Instagram to see our work. If you are a sixth to 12th grade teacher, email Sarah.Duffer@acsgmail.net to get free lessons to support your work.

Together, let’s learn about and practice the solutions to reverse global warming! Through this solution-centered work, we can develop a new relationship to climate change. Instead of being victims to it, climate change can be an invitation for us to create a future rooted in sustainability and equity for all life on this wondrous planet we call home.

Forward together!

— Sarah Duffer
Asheville High School Science Department
Asheville

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4 thoughts on “Letter: Take steps to reverse global warming with Drawdown EcoChallenge

  1. Enlightened Enigma

    Sarah, can YOU define ‘climate justice’ in an understandable way ? No one I’ve asked yet has been able to define it!

    writers email does NOT seem to be working at ACS…

    • Jim

      “Climate justice” is eliminating coal, oil, and natural gas without a viable replacement, the ideology of fools. I wonder how many of these hypocrites drive cars and heat their houses with these evil fuels.

      • Lou

        We drive cars and heat our homes with what we have been provided. More sustainable methods should not be rendered unaffordable to the masses simply so that Duke and other fossil fuel capitalists can continue to line their pockets.

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