Students are inspired by Patagonia’s founder taking action against Climate Change
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Founder of Patagonia, Yvon Chouinard, recently announced that he is giving away his 3 billion dollar company to a non-profit organization in order to fight climate change. He announced his decision to the general public in a message titled, “Earth is now our only shareholder.” With 7 in 10 teens and young adults agreeing that climate change will cause a moderate or great deal of harm to people of their generation, Chouinard’s actions are resonating with students and are a great example of how we can use our mic for good to make a difference.
In our 2022 Earth Day LIVE Lesson, students learned that since we have walked this planet, humans have altered 97% of the land on Earth, resulting in widespread habitat and species loss. Patagonia’s actions to help restore the Earth is an uplifting message for students, who are most likely to notice environmental effects happening in their homes and communities.
Contact us to learn more about our turnkey #WinAtSocial Lessons that teach students how they can use social media to make a difference.
Why did Patagonia’s founder give away his company?
Patagonia’s founder has given up ownership of his 3 billion dollar company in order to combat climate change. Not only did Chouinard give away ownership of his company and donate millions to non-profit organizations, but he and his wife will pay about $17.5 million in taxes for Patagonia. They also plan to continue to re-invest their earnings to promote sustainable business to fight climate change.
In his message announcing his decision, Chouinard referenced how Earth’s resources are running out and now is the time to save it.
“If we have any hope of a thriving planet — much less a thriving business — 50 years from now, it is going to take all of us doing what we can with the resources we have. This is another way we’ve found to do our part.” – Yvon Chouinard
Chouinard hopes his actions will start a movement within the business world to promote sustainable practices and create less financial disparities between business owners and the community. Most students have found themselves in awe of Patagonia’s actions, possibly sparking a movement within our youth.
TSI’s take on Patagonia’s founder combatting climate change
Seeing a corporation as large as Patagonia take such drastic measures to combat climate change is a big deal for students, as 70% of teens and young adults agree that climate change will cause a moderate or great deal of harm. However, students don’t have to be billionaires to fight climate change. In the past few years, students have started standing up for the environment in big ways.
Share these examples with your students to show how young people are already working to save the Earth:
- Greta Thunberg’s Climate Strike
- Autumn Peltier’s fight for clean drinking water
- Hannah Herbst’s work in creating stable power using energy from the ocean’s currents
Here at The Social Institute, one of our seven social standards is Use Your Mic For Good. This means using social media as a microphone to create meaningful change, just like the student leaders above. When students see brands and influencers, such as Patagonia, using their platforms for change, it inspires them to do it themselves.
If you want to learn more about how The Social Institute can empower your students to use social media as a microphone to create meaningful change, contact us today for a personalized demo.
Download the Huddle Discussion Questions to have real conversations about this trending news story and more!
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The Social Institute (TSI) is the leader in understanding student experiences and creator of #WinAtSocial, a gamified, online learning platform that equips students, educators, and families to navigate social experiences — online and offline — in healthy ways. Our unique, student-respected approach incorporates topics like social media, technology use, and current events that have a significant impact on student well-being. Lessons teach life skills for the modern day to inspire high-character decisions that support the health, happiness, and future success of students, while capturing data that provides insights to school leaders to inform school policy and communications, and enable high-impact teaching and a healthy learning environment. For schools, our turnkey technology allows for easy implementation and a comprehensive game plan to support the well-being of school communities. For schools, our turnkey technology allows for easy implementation and a comprehensive game plan to support the well-being of school communities.