$10 million can go a long way towards protecting places like these that we hold dear. Max Ritter photo.

This morning, Patagonia announced it is donating $10 million to groups defending clean air and water, responsible land use, and the regenerative organic agriculture movement.

Rose Mercario, CEO of Patagonia, says "Based on last year’s irresponsible tax cut, Patagonia will owe less in taxes this year—$10 million less, in fact. Instead of putting the money back into our business, we’re responding by putting $10 million back into the planet. Our home planet needs it more than we do."

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Read the full Patagonia press release below:

This holiday season, Patagonia is giving away the $10 million in unplanned cash we saw as a result of last year’s irresponsible tax cut. A tax cut that was not only a windfall for the oil and gas industry but will also open up 19 million acres of Alaska’s wildlife refuge. The timing of this tax cut couldn’t have been worse.

Our planet is in peril because of human-caused climate disruption. Patagonia believes the scientists—including the authors of Friday’s National Climate Assessment report—and it is urgent that we all do something about it.

Since 1985, Patagonia has funded grassroots activism as part of our commitment to 1% for the Planet. This additional $10 million will go a long way for the groups defending our air, water and land. It will also include support for the regenerative organic agriculture movement, which we think will not only slow the climate crisis but could begin to reverse it.

Patagonia’s founder, Yvon Chouinard, says catastrophe is here, and we need all the help we can get to address the climate crisis. He said, “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.”