THE CLIMATE CRISIS

“Up here on a day like this, it’s easy to forget the planet is in turmoil.”

As another season of snow approaches the Northern hemisphere — following yet another year of wildfires, record-breaking temperatures, and extreme weather events across the globe — it is clear that there are much bigger things at stake when it comes to the climate crisis than ‘just a few more turns in the fresh stuff.’

Even in my short lifetime, the world has seen a noticeable recession in its glaciers, a shortening of the ski seasons, and a reduction in overall snowpack depth and snow accumulation. As snowfall decline continues, we have a responsibility — not only as individuals or communities but as a whole industry — to reinvigorate and guide our efforts toward more sustainable practices.

“We know that we need to develop a greener type of tourism, which is built around the natural assets of the mountain rather than at the expense of them [...] but until those in power put the climate crisis at the top of the agenda, everything else is just background noise.”

Luckily, there is still time to make a difference. Studies show that if global climate targets are met and warming does not rise more than 2 degrees above pre-industrial levels, we could curb the snow decline to about a 30% loss. 

But what can we do in the meantime? Almost 60% of the European ski industry’s CO2 emissions come from travel to and from their slopes, in comparison to the 2% that is emitted by running chairlifts. By taking a train, carpooling, or even just by arranging for one longer trip instead of multiple shorter ones, each one of us can start making choices that reflect a mindset of sustainability and carbon footprint reduction. There are also heaps of resorts, brands, and organizations committed to a greener future. We have access to so much information at our fingertips that can help every one of us make more informed decisions on where and how to spend our money, and show support.

As a first step, have a read through the article that spurred this blog post.

Maybe — while I have you — head over to https://www.protectourwinters.ca to see what the folks at POW are up to, their current climate campaigns, and how you might be able to get involved.

Did you know the UN Climate Summit is taking place this November in Glasgow? Check it out!