If we can count our calories, then why not our greenhouse gas emissions? ”- Prachi Shevgaonka.
Climate change is a real threat. But, we are so busy in our lives that we forget about the environment and its rising problems. Greenhouse gas emissions are not the problem of one or two states or countries, but it is a problem rising around the globe.
But you know what, I believe in Superwoman, who will come and rescue the world from its problems. The major problems these days are greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. And to my surprise, I found out about one superwoman, who is advocating for the environmental cause. Yes! Prachi Shevgaonkar, the founder of “Cool The Globe,” and a media professional.
Many of you may know her and many of you may not. But how did her journey start? What exactly is "cool the globe”? Too many questions, and as always, I am here to answer. Let’s spill the beans about her life and social innovation.
What is Greenhouse Gas Emission?
The gasses that trap heat in the atmosphere are called greenhouse gasses. The emission of greenhouse gasses due to human activities strengthens the greenhouse effects, causing climate change. Carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide are the three most significant greenhouse gasses.
Who is Prachi Shevgaonkar?
Prachi Shevgaonkar is a 23-year-old media professional and inspiring environmentalist from Maharashtra, India. She is the founder of “Cool The Globe.” She has mobilized global citizens to fight against climate change through technology, innovation, and grassroots action. Her dream is to integrate climate action into the lives of one billion citizens so that together we can cool the globe. She believes that when ordinary citizens come together, miracles can happen!
Moreover, Prachi has helped several sustainable initiatives and businesses craft a communication strategy. She has also researched and presented papers on “The role of behavioral change theories in battling anthropogenic climate change.”
How did her Journey Start?
“It started early in my life, in my childhood. I went to a small experimental school focused on experiential learning. One day the teacher asked us to write down where we see ourselves in 10 years. A decade later, the school sent us these essays. To my surprise, I have written about making an impact.” She said in an interview.
Prachi’s journey to becoming a social entrepreneur started with a simple question: “What is the problem in the world today?” To her surprise, climate change popped up in response to the search.
“I was astonished to see this because all global institutions and policymakers talked about climate change as a pressing challenge, and we only have three decades to do something about it. But nobody around me was talking about it,” she stated in an interview.
That was the moment “Cool The Globe”, an app, was born to help citizens reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to a target.
What Exactly is Cool The Globe?
Cool The Globe is an app that enables ordinary people to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. The app has over 10,000 users with a presence in fifty-five countries across the world. It is flourishing into a citizen-led movement for climate action.
Once you enter the app, you get a target to reduce your carbon footprint annually and monthly. Then you are offered an extensive list of many actions embedded in your life, and the app allows you to see the greenhouse gas emissions you saved from taking those simple actions. The app also creates a community to motivate consistent actions by showing the collective impact made by the savings of all app users.
Prachi and her family decided to pursue a personal quest to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 10% every year. “It was a wonderful feeling to know the quantitative impact of simple actions.” It felt like I was making a difference at my small level. She added that to her surprise, many individuals approached her wanting to join this quest,
Needless to say, today, advisors and organizational partners have joined her in this quest. It is her dream to integrate climate action into the lives of one billion citizens.
Voices that Inspire
There is always a voice or an incident that inspires us to do out-of-the-box things in life. The same was true with Prachi. One fine day when Prachi was documenting the lives of children, she asked a 12-year-old boy what he would wish for if he was granted one wish. He said he wished his house didn’t get flooded every year.
As ordinary people, we only care about our family, home, livelihood, and the food and climate impacts of these. Voices like these were her motivation and inspiration behind working towards a better society and environment.
What’s Next?
Prachi is planning to enhance the app’s interface to inculcate more incentive to give people achievements and also to bring it onto iOS. Moreover, she wants to get as much material on climate change to enable people to create their citizen chapters, develop their versions of action, and foster their communities.
In a conversation with Saevus, Prachi said,“ The onus is now on us to reach as many people as we can, to bring climate action into the lives of every single person, and to show everybody that we come together, we can make a difference.”
Awards and Achievements
Prachi has been invited as a guest lecturer and expert speaker on climate action at the WWF Modal Conference 2021, the National Conference on Urban Sustainability, and multiple schools, universities, corporates, Rotary Clubs, and citizen groups.
The climate entrepreneur was honored with the Olive Green Crusader of the Year Award by the International Advertising Association. She is also the recipient of the Taru Lalvani Award for Environment Protection.
The Final Words
In one of her interviews, female entrepreneur Prachi said, “The issue with climate change is that we don’t humanize it. People just can not relate to it, and hence the urgency of action doesn’t communicate.” Climate change is not just an environmental problem, it is a communication challenge. Therefore, we must act now to avoid the worst of climate change.
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