Due to President Trump’s tax cuts that reduced the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%, Patagonia’s founder Yvon Chouniard has a surplus of $10 million for the 2018 fiscal year. Rather than reinvesting the money into his company, Chouniard has decided to donate the money to local organizations working to reverse global warming through regenerative organic agriculture.
The 80 year-old businessman was born in Lewiston, Maine but shortly moved to California with his family where he began his rock climbing adventures and found a passion for the natural world. After starting Patagonia, his clothing and gear company, Chouniard realized what he could accomplish with its massive financial success. Chouniard committed the company to a policy of donating either one percent of sales or ten percent of profits (whichever is greater) to environmental activism efforts: a program that has continued since 1973.
The company regularly donates to environmental groups, but with these new tax policies rolled out by Trump’s administration, Patagonia has the opportunity to make an even bigger positive impact on the world. It’s no surprise that the outdoorsman/environmentalist/businessman has decided to donate the money to help the planet rather than keep it because that is the basic principle that the company was founded on.
Chouniard would rather fish, hike, or surf instead of get involved with the corrupt world of politics, but with recent government actions, he couldn’t sit around and bite his tongue.
“Our government continues to ignore the seriousness and causes of the climate crisis. It is pure evil. We need to double down on renewable energy solutions. We need an agriculture system that supports small family farms and ranches, not one that rewards chemical companies intent on destroying our planet and poisoning our food. And we need to protect our public lands and waters because they are all we have left.”
Chouinard is not only upset about Trump’s tax cuts, but his illegal reduction of Bears Ears and Staircase Escalante National Monument in Utah as well as his approval of oil and gas exploration and drilling on 1.5 million acres of Alaska National Wildlife Refuge coastal plain.
Patagonia’s donation as well as countless others will do a lot of good in the world, but no amount of money will ever be enough to combat the power of the federal government. If you stand with Patagonia, 350 businesses, conservation groups, Native American tribes, hikers, climbers, hunters, anglers, and countless other people that enjoy the natural world, then please join the fight to protect our public lands. The link below will take you to Patagonia’s website where you can read about their ongoing efforts in environmental protection and see some of the grassroots organizations that they support. Also don’t hesitate to click the “Take Action Now” button to reach out to the government and let them know how you feel about their illegal actions that threaten America the beautiful.
https://www.patagonia.com/protect-public-lands.html
Works Cited:
http://www.patagoniaworks.com/press/2018/11/28/patagonias-urgent-10m-gif…
https://www.forbes.com/sites/angelauyeung/2018/11/29/patagonias-billiona…