Beyond Carbon: Environment
The changing climate affects not only our natural environment — it exacerbates social inequities, threatens livelihoods and impacts our public health. Drawdown Georgia’s solutions have direct and indirect impact across our state’s diverse populations
Environment
We all win when we protect the environment and ecosystems. Regenerative agriculture practices and temperate forest stewardship extend the benefits of our natural carbon sinks like trees, soil and other vegetation. In turn, a healthier natural world hedges against extreme weather impacts.
Lowering emissions almost always means better air quality. Some communities may have concerns about land that is used for large scale solar (or solar farms), so it is an area to watch. We want to be sure that these potential concerns and impacts are visible to everyone involved in the process of making the big decisions that will help scale these solutions.
Largely Positive
Areas to Watch or Address
Limited Impacts or Limited Data
| Sector Solutions | Air Quality | Water Quality & Quantity |
Land Use | Ecosystems & Biodiversity |
Material Disposability |
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Large Scale Solar
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Cogeneration
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Rooftop Solar
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Demand Response
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Landfill Methane
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| Sector Solutions | Air Quality | Water Quality & Quantity |
Land Use | Ecosystems & Biodiversity |
Material Disposability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Recycling/Waste Management
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Refrigerant
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Retrofitting
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| Sector Solutions | Air Quality | Water Quality & Quantity |
Land Use | Ecosystems & Biodiversity |
Material Disposability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Composting
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Conservation Agriculture
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Plant Rich Diet
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Reduced Food Waste
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| Sector Solutions | Air Quality | Water Quality & Quantity |
Land Use | Ecosystems & Biodiversity |
Material Disposability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Coastal Wetlands Restoration
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Afforestation & Silvopasture
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Temperate Forest Stewardship
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| Sector Solutions | Air Quality | Water Quality & Quantity |
Land Use | Ecosystems & Biodiversity |
Material Disposability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Energy Efficient Cars
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Energy Efficient Trucks
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Mass Transit
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Electric Vehicles
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Alternative Mobility
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Stories & Studies
Drawdown Georgia Founding Partners
John A. Lanier John A. Lanier joined the Ray C. Anderson Foundation as Executive Director in May 2013. He serves on the Board of Directors for Southface, the southeast's nonprofit leader in research,
John A. Lanier John A. Lanier joined the Ray C. Anderson Foundation as Executive Director in May 2013. He se
Drawdown Georgia Launches to Accelerate Climate Solutions
Nonpartisan effort to scale solutions by bringing Georgians together to crowdsolve for climate progress (Georgia, October 16, 2020)—This weekend marks the launch of a long-term, multi-stakeholder cl
Nonpartisan effort to scale solutions by bringing Georgians together to crowdsolve for climate progress (Geo
Embodied Carbon: Interface Base Camp
When they built their new headquarters - or "Base Camp" - in Atlanta, Interface was able to reduce the carbon footprint of the building by one half. How did they do it? Click to view the comple
When they built their new headquarters - or "Base Camp" - in Atlanta, Interface was able to reduce the carbo
Questions?
Why the focus on refrigerants?
One of the largest contributors to refrigerant leakage in Georgia are grocery and convenience store refrigeration systems. There are 958 grocery stores and over 6,000 gas, drug, and convenience stores in Georgia, accounting for about 1.9 MtCO2e leaked annually. Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) are a class of chemicals used in refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, heat pumps, and to transfer heat in applications found throughout Georgia’s economy. We can find alternatives and manage existing HFCs better -- because 90 percent of refrigerant emissions happen at end of life, effective disposal of those currently in circulation is essential. After being carefully removed and stored, refrigerants can be purified for reuse or transformed into other less harmful chemicals.
Which industries dominate in Georgia’s building products?
According to the Georgia Forestry Commission, Georgia is a leader in paper and pulp products, with an economic output of $13.1 billion in 2018, representing almost 20,000 jobs and $1.8 billion in annual wages and salaries.
What is our current recycling rate?
In 2011, Georgia recycled only approximately 0.7 million tons out of 10.6 million tons of MSW, or a recycling rate of about 6.6%. This is significantly below the U.S. average rate of 22.6% reported by the same study (Shin, 2014).
