Ga. Experts look for local solutions to climate woes

Reprinted from AJC.com

In the spring of 2017, a boldly subtitled book became a national bestseller. “Drawdown,” wrote the authors, was “the most comprehensive plan ever proposed to reverse global warming.” The book, an extensive examination of 100 solutions that could substantially reduce greenhouse gases over the next three decades, has influenced communities, curriculum and conversations about climate change.

Inspired by the global endeavor, the Ray C. Anderson Foundation in October launched Drawdown Georgia, an effort to bring a local lens to those climate solutions and reduce Georgia’s carbon impact by one-third in 10 years.

“The one thing Project Drawdown couldn’t do was tell any region what their solutions could be,” said John Lanier, executive director of the foundation, which provides funding and research that supports environmental efforts. So for 18 months, a team of experts from the University of Georgia, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University and other organizations worked to determine which solutions were best suited to Georgia’s unique landscape.

The resulting 20 solutions, if widely adopted, could help Georgia reduce its annual carbon output by 35% over the next 10 years and serve as a model for other states to do the same.

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