A Personal Climate
Change Action Plan
Climate justice ∙ Carbon sequestration
∙ Climate Resilience and Mitigation
A 4-in-1 climate change action plan
12-Step Path to a Low-Carbon Lifestyle
Request Our Interactive Playbook on the 4-in-1 Climate Action Plan
TREES PLANTED GLOBALLY EACH MONTH
PARTS PER MILLION ATMOSPHERic CO2
2023 was officially recorded as the hottest month ever on Earth—and likely the hottest in about 120,000 years. UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, recently stated that “the era of global warming has ended; the era of global boiling has arrived.” The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has made it clear that, in order the avoid the worst impacts of climate change, merely reducing new greenhouse gas emissions is no longer enough.
A framework recently drawn up by the climate action think-tank, Project Drawdown, outlines the need to work holistically on all aspects of the climate equation—namely three connected areas:.
1. Improve Society — foster equality for all
2. Support Sinks — uplift nature’s carbon cycle
3. Reduce Sources — bring emissions to zero
In order to scale the effort to the requisite levels, it is vital that this focus is also shared by all parts of society and, by supporting the ReWrite Our Story program, you have the ability to make a personal contribution to all of these areas in one single act. Indeed, the full ReWrite Our Story People and Planet Climate Action Plan simultaneously addresses the key factors of climate justice, carbon capture, climate resilience, and climate mitigation.
A comprehensive 4-in-1 plan for taking personal climate change action
The ReWrite Our Story program actually enables you to choose your desired level of impact for this 4-pronged climate action solution. In all cases, every $20 donated will be used to:
- Improve Society — Climate Justice
Create one day of work and income for people in extreme poverty in Madagascar, the fourth largest island on earth, which has the world’s third highest poverty rate (75% of people live off less that $1.90 a day);
- Support Sinks — Carbon Capture & Climate Resilience
Plant 45 mangrove trees to sequester carbon dioxide that already exists in the atmosphere. As mangroves sequester CO2 at rates up to 5 times higher than a mature tropical forests, this removes around 1 metric ton of CO2 in a typical 12 months after time of planting.
- Reduce Sources — Climate Mitigation Measures
Empower you to reduce your own future emissions through our monthly carbon-literacy certified series, “Sustainable Solutions”, which provides a road-map for lowering emissions from key carbon source areas, such as food, travel, energy and personal products.
In addition, if you opt to contribute $20 a month (or $240 a year), Purpose on the Planet will plant an additional 60 trees for you, so that you can become Climate Positive as a result of removing more CO2 from the air than the average US carbon footprint!
mangroves store more Carbon per unit area than any other ecosystem on earth
Climate Action: Our 4-in-1 Impact Strategy
Powerful carbon capture from mangrove reforestation
The International Energy Agency states that we will need to reduce CO2 in the environment by 19% if we are to achieve the goal of carbon neutrality by 2070. Which means we’ll have to evolve and change the ways we capture, use and store carbon moving forward.
Until technological innovations can help us realize this climate action goal practically and affordably on a global level, REFORESTATION remains our most effective tool for reducing greenhouse gases. This is because trees are extremely efficient at sequestering carbon (converting CO2 into plant matter and maintaining this material for the life of the tree and beyond). With the goal of using all possible means to optimize carbon removal, we used 3 fundamentals to help inform our initial assessment process:
WHICH TREES PROVIDE THE MOST CARBON SEQUESTRATION?
Scientific studies confirm that mangroves are among the most effective tree species for sequestering carbon. Mangroves “sequester carbon at a rate two to four times greater than mature tropical forests,” and they contain “the highest carbon density of all terrestrial ecosystems.” (Fatoyinbo et al, 2017).
The key to mangroves’ effectiveness lies in the large amounts of biomass they store underground within their extensive root systems as a means of supporting themselves in the muddy coastal areas where they thrive. (Komiyama et al, 2008).
The scientific approaches for measuring carbon removal are constantly evolving and precise sequestration levels will always be site-specific. However, recent studies provide us with the conservative estimate that each mangrove tree planted by Eden in Madagascar can remove over 308kg (680lbs) of atmospheric CO 2 over the growth life of the tree. This baseline was adjusted for average mangrove growth life and Eden’s standard planting density per acre to arrive at the figure used by Purpose on the Planet to determine the number of trees required to remove 2% more carbon than the average US footprint.
WHERE IS THE MOST COST-EFFECTIVE LOCATION TO PLANT THESE TREES?
Scientists have confirmed that the geography of planting locations does not necessarily impact the quality or amount of carbon sequestration that results. This means that the benefits of reduced emissions are constant for the planet, regardless of where the carbon reduction initiative originates.
Currently, Madagascar is both the oldest and largest project location operated by our partner Eden Reforestation Projects. Through our partnership with Eden, it only costs around 20 cents to plant a tree in Madagascar on your behalf.
By focusing specifically on: (i) mangroves, considered one of the most effective natural means of removing CO2 from the atmosphere and; (ii) Madagascar, where implementation overheads are significantly lower than most locations in developed countries and economies, we can maximize the carbon reduction impact from every dollar donated to Purpose on the Planet for the ReWrite Our Story program.
CAN WE MEET OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL OR HUMANITARIAN NEEDS ?
Madagascar is already feeling—firsthand—the adverse consequences of climate change, through famine conditions across several regions of the island. In addition to combating climate change, Eden’s “Employ to Plant” methodology directly addresses local poverty by hiring villagers to plant and protect the trees in these regions of urgent need.
To make matters more pressing, Madagascar has been severely compromised in recent years by deforestation. The regeneration of mangroves is made doubly important, since they reform their local ecosystems in important ways beyond carbon recovery. These include fishery support, fiber production, sediment regulation, and storm/tsunami protection. (Source: Donato, 2011).
All of these factors in Madagascar combine to deliver powerful and positive impact that reaches far beyond mere climate abatement: This includes transformative employment and income for local cultures, and key environmental protections, including wildlife conservation.
Blog Feed: Zero Carbon Emissions – Zero Poverty
Humanity, Philanthropy and Sustainability…..Can You Connect the Dots?
“Good actions give strength to ourselves and inspire good actions in others.” Plato Philanthropy” is a word given to us by the Greeks...
Purpose on the Planet Earns 4-Star Rating from Charity Navigator
Give with Confidence When You Donate to Top Charities with 4-Star RatingsPurpose on the Planet is proud to announce that its strong financial health and ongoing accountability and transparency has earned a Four-Star Rating from Charity Navigator. This rating...
We bring you sustainable
lifestyle choices and holistic climate action
Purpose on the Planet is not only committed to helping our donor community take immediate climate action to mitigate the effects of global warming, but also to inform the way we all think about and work toward a sustainable future. As part of a ReWrite Our Story membership, you will receive a subscription to our monthly Sustainable Solutions newsletter series, which provides a range of lifestyle options and action steps for protecting the planet and ensuring stronger and more inclusive prosperity for future generations around the globe.
As one example, the Adapt & Adopt video segments of these materials provide highly practical insights on how, as individuals, each of us can act to reduce our personal carbon footprint and do our own part in minimizing future emissions. Through the 12 thematic pieces delivered to you within a single year, you can expect to gather a broad range of knowledge and actionable concepts that any of us can adopt on a daily basis. Each of these practical steps is designed to reduce carbon emissions from 4 key “sources” – consumption, travel, food, and buildings.
ReWrite Our Story:
The 4-in-1 plan for taking
personal climate action
One-Time or Monthly Donations
Give monthly & plant 60 extra trees
Impacts start at $10
Climate Positive
Plans for Individuals
Opt to be carbon negative this year
Only $20/month
Climate Positive
Plans for Families
For 2 or more family members
From $40/month
