‘Primrose for the Planet’ tackling Drawdown EcoChallenge

Written By MARNI WALSH

Drawdown EcoChallenge is a 21-day engagement program focused on carbon reduction, presented by EcoChallenge.org. The challenge explores solutions by Project Drawdown, a comprehensive plan to reverse global warming.  

“Since the EcoChallenge started on April 3, team ‘Primrose for the Planet' has acquired 33 very active members and accumulated 4,576 points, earning a current ranking of 29 out of 956 teams participating worldwide, and is recognized as the second top team in Canada,” says the Primrose Captain, Jennifer Payne. 

“The challenge goes until April 24, and encourages participants to select and complete actions that progress the top ranked solutions to global warming, as assessed by Project Drawdown. Actions have varying difficulty levels and fall under eight different categories,” Ms. Payne says.

She added, “There's something for everyone to do, regardless of where you're starting from, where your passion lies, or how ambitious you are.” 

According to Drawdown, the project was founded by author, entrepreneur, and environmentalist Paul Hawken. Mr. Hawken is an expert in sustainability and the study of changing the relationship between business and the environment.  His organization gathered researchers from around the world to identify and model the 100 most substantive, existing solutions to address climate change.  

Drawdown is defined as the point in time when the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere begins to decline on a year-to-year basis. The organization says their purpose is to provide a variety of tools to individuals and organizations interested  in stopping global warming and reversing climate change.  

Ms. Payne, who played a leading role in the development of the very successful “Farm to School Program” in Dufferin County, says Drawdown EcoChallenge participants are “setting out to prove that everyday actions can make a big impact.” Team ‘Primrose for the Planet' is one of three currently participating in the Headwaters' region. The other two recognized teams are Team Headwaters and EcoCaledon.

“The challenge runs from April 3 to April 24 and is a fun and easy way to make a difference for our community and the planet,” says Jennifer Payne. “Check out drawdown.ecochallenge.org and join a team.”