Patagonia Wants More People to Become Environmental Activists

Its new project, Patagonia Action Works, is a 'dating site' to connect environmental protection groups and wannabe activists.

You've really got to hand it to Patagonia. Somehow, this major outdoor gear retailer has managed to maintain ethical production and environmental standards that far exceed those of its rivals, while staying active and relevant in a broad range of environmental fights. When it comes to Patagonia, its involvement in political issues seems genuine, not just a publicity stunt. Impressively, the company does not shy away from taking a strong stance, as shown in its recent "The President Stole Your Land" campaign.

Its latest project is called 'Patagonia Action Works,' and it is essentially a dating site (this is what CEO and founder Yvon Chouinard called it, jokingly) for environmental protection organizations and wannabe activists. The site allows visitors to search different geographical regions and get connected with groups engaged in a wide range of environmental protection work.

As Chouinard says in the promo video:

"I've always known that the cure for depression is action. Patagonia's reason for existence is to force government and corporations to take action in solving our environmental problems... We've had lots of, you might call them, victories, but recently things have gotten a lot worse. And we've asked ourselves, what more can we do?"

Chouinard's company has donated $89 million to environmental groups since its founding. The recipients of these grants are the environmental organizations listed on the new Action Works website. In this way, Patagonia is continuing its work by connecting new volunteers to the organizations it cares about most.

Patagonia gives money to groups working in the following four categories, and visitors can search all or specific issues:

• Land -- Terrestrial ecosystems and land use, sustainable agriculture and food systems, mineral extraction, healthy forests, pollution, toxics and hazardous wastes
• Water -- Freshwater/inland ecosystems, coastal and marine ecosystems, pollution, toxics and hazardous wastes
• Biodiversity -- Biodiversity and species preservation
• Climate -- Energy extraction, climate and atmosphere, renewable energy, transportation
• Communities -- Environmental justice, civil democracy, sustainable communities and indigenous populations/communities

Watch the video below: