Powder, Not Power Plants

"I have been skiing to both North and south Poles for over 20 years and I personally have witnessed a deterioration of sea ice on the Arctic Ocean." - Doug Stoup, Artic Explorer and Guide

Doug Stoup, President and Founder, Ice Axe Expeditions

“There is no operation manual for Spaceship Earth. The technology age or new industrial revolution with bio-technology, smartphones, 3-D Printing, Artificial Intelligence and autonomous vehicles will affect the quality of our existence for hundreds of years. I have been skiing to both North and south Poles for over 20 years and I personally have witnessed a deterioration of sea ice on the Arctic Ocean. This is truly an early warning sign that we need to shift to 100 percent renewable energy NOW! We need to move to cleaner energy to have a sustainable vision for our collective future. There is no resupply for Spaceship Earth. There are no passengers, we are all crew and cannot afford to procrastinate. We need to mobilize for immediate action through agile governance, technology and protection for us to survive.”

We don’t want to watch our winters melt away! That’s why Snowriders International is dedicated to fighting for a 100% renewable energy economy.

A 100% Renewable energy economy is essential to cutting global warming pollution and ensuring snowy winters for generations to come!

It's clear that as a society we must take urgent and decisive action to reduce emissions in order to prevent the worst impacts of climate change.  However, currently, good climate policies like the Clean Power Plan, clean car standards, and the Paris Agreement, are under attack in Washington. And the Department of Interior's plans to open up hundreds of miles of protected land and coastline to drilling and fracking operations threatens to reverse our clean energy progress. Fortunately, visionaries on the local, state and national level are stepping up and continuing to lead the transition to a 100% renewable energy future. As part of the Voices for 100% Renewables campaign, we are amplifying the voices of these leaders.

This winter, Snowriders is delighted to welcome polar pioneer Doug Stoup to the Voices for 100% Renewables campaign.

Hundreds of leaders - from mayors of major cities, to scientific authorities - had contributed their voices to this campaign so far, demonstrating the broad effort to transition away from dirty energy towards a renewable future NOW.

With so many visionaries from across the world working on this problem, a 100% Renewable world is not only essential, but it is within our reach.

Ethan Strimling, Mayor, Portland, Maine

“Here in Portland, Maine we’re moving city operations toward a 100% Clean Energy by 2040 goal. Protecting our long term environmental health will take hard work, collaboration, foresight and creativity. It will also mean never taking ‘no’ for an answer because when it comes to ensuring a sustainable future for all of Portland, it’s not a choice, it’s a necessity.”

Bill McKibben, Founder, 350.org

“Aside from the small bonus of not destroying the planet, renewable energy comes with many other benefits as well. Coal, oil, and gas; which we power our world with now, are found in a few places around the world. The people who happen to live on top of these places get enormous power because of the money and political influence they gain. Think about Saudi Arabia, think about the Koch brothers in our country, the biggest oil and gas barons and the biggest political players in our corrupted system. If we are all generating our own power: from the sun that falls on our shingles or the wind that blows through our streets, then we won’t need the Saudis anymore, we won’t need the Koch brothers anymore. We will be able to have not just clean power but a much cleaner democracy.”

Wenonah Hauter, Founder and Executive Director, Food & Water Watch

“We know that we have the renewables technology and together we can organize the political will to create a clean energy future.

Renewables are ready today. We have the technical know how to build out 100% renewable energy systems. Not only is this a critical step forward for cleaning up our environment and protecting our global climate – it will also create jobs and be a boon to the economy. The only thing that has stood in our way is the lack of political will. But, because of the growing movement for a clean energy revolution, the political winds are shifting.

People are taking action to change our energy future in unprecedented numbers. They see that progress has been stunted at the federal level and so they are working at the state and local level to stop dirty energy projects and to support clean energy solutions. Recently, Maryland joined New York and Vermont in banning fracking and Pueblo City, Colorado joined 22 other cities in committing to going 100% renewable.

We are so excited about the tremendous number of people who are fired up to make the changes we need to survive. To help capture the enthusiasm, we are launching a new volunteer-led effort called Off Fossil Fuels to give activists the ability to run local campaigns across the country to keep fossil fuels in the ground, stop pipelines and other risky infrastructure projects, and transition to 100% renewable energy by 2035.”

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Interior Secretary Recommends Reducing Protections for Ten National Monuments

Ten national monuments are in danger according to a leaked U.S. Interior Department document. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s recommendations to the Trump Administration include shrinking four national monuments and opening up six others to commercial industry, like mining, drilling and logging. To do this would be not only harmful to these natural treasures and environmentally irresponsible, but it also defies public opinion.  Ninety-eight percent of the 2.8 million public comments received by the Interior Department on national monuments supported maintaining or expanding the protections to the monuments under review. 

Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument would shrink under Zinke's recommendations (Bureau of Land Management)

As skiers and snowboarders we benefit immensely from America’s public lands. Much of the land we ski on - both back- and front-country - is publicly owned and administered. Our public lands help keep our mountain air fresh, and preserve some of the country’s most iconic alpine views.  Our national monuments represent some of our country’s most cherished landscapes, enjoyed by millions of Americans for camping and hiking, skiing and mountain biking and more. Last May, while celebrating Colorado Public Lands Day, we spoke to hundreds of skiers and snowboarders who support America's national monuments and want to see their protections maintained and expanded, not squandered in the name of shortsighted plans. 

It is both unwise and unpopular to revoke any of the protections to these lands. The Trump administration has already backed off cuts to other national monuments following massive public outcry. We need to save these monuments as well. Snowriders International will continue to work with our network of partners across the country to educate the public and mobilize support for these national monuments and all of our public lands.

As Citizens Testify, EPA's Clean Car Standards At Stake

For Immediate Release: September 6, 2017
Contact: Lucie Coleman, Organizer, Snowriders International, lucie@snowridersinternational.org,914.417.1454

NEWS RELEASE: CITIZENS TESTIFY, EPA’S CLEAN CAR STANDARDS AT STAKE
 

Today in Washington DC, concerned citizens, advocates and decision makers are gathering at a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency hearing urging them to strengthen, not weaken their clean car standards. The hearing is a result of the Trump Administration’s announcement that it was reopening the EPA’s midterm evaluation of clean car standards.  This decision withdraws the final emission standards for 2022-2025 that the EPA released in 2012.

Snowriders International is an organization of skiers, snowboarders and mountain recreation enthusiasts dedicated to the promotion of winter sports and the protection of the environment across the globe. Snowriders organizer Lucie Coleman issued the following statement:

“The fact is, the vast majority of us still rely on our personal cars to get us to the slopes, the river or the hiking trail. We believe a trip to the mountains shouldn’t endanger the natural spaces we love, and the EPA’s clean car standards are an essential part of making our vision a reality. We cannot yet depend on public or shared transportation to access our outdoor recreation activities, so in the meantime it’s crucial that conscientious outdoors-people advocate for strong emission standards for vehicles.

“People want cleaner cars, and today the EPA will hear how much. With transportation now the single largest source of carbon emissions in the country, we need to strengthen clean car standards not weaken them.  Curbing carbon emissions from transportation through these common-sense standards is essential if we want to continue to have access to the beautiful places and recreation activities we love while still taking meaningful and responsible action to combat climate change.

“We fear that reopening the evaluation process will lead to weaker standards. With 2016 now the hottest year on record, skiers and boarders well know that we need to get serious about cutting carbon emissions, not roll back the effective tools we already have in place. The current clean car standards would, when fully phased in, reduce America’s oil use by 12 billion barrels, and cut greenhouse gas emissions by 6 billions metric tons.  The clean car standards are the single most important tool now in place on the federal level to avert the worst impacts of climate change; we cannot afford to weaken them.”

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Carbon Pricing in Vermont

To protect Vermont skiing from the worst impacts of climate change, the state must continue its legacy of climate leadership and implement carbon pricing for all carbon emissions.

As skiers and snowboarders, we know that Vermont’s natural beauty is one of the state’s greatest assets, and that snowsports are a vital part of the Vermont way-of-life.

And yet,  Vermont is already feeling the impacts of climate change:

• The average annual temperature in our state has risen 1.3°F since 1960.

• Our annual freezing period has shorted by 4 days every decade.

• By the end of the century, ski resorts like Stratton, Killington and Sugarbush could be facing ‘Tennessee-like’ winters

 

With President Trump's decision to pull the U.S. out of the Paris Climate Agreement, state and regional climate action are more important than ever!

Vermont is already a member of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, the highly successful cap and trade program for carbon emissions from power plants, that has slashed global warming pollution from power plants in half within its nine member-states.

If Vermont extends carbon pricing to include emissions from heating and transportation, it could cut carbon pollution by an additional one-third!

From Vermont? We need your help!

Sign our letter telling Governor Scott to support carbon pricing in Vermont to protect a healthy environment and snowy winters in Vermont for many generations to come.

Snowriders for 100% Renewables

Snow and mountain communities know better than most what’s at stake in the face of climate change.  We can see snow and our way of life threatened by irregular weather and freezing patterns, warming winters, and earlier and earlier springs each year.

We don’t want to watch our winters melt away! That’s why Snowriders International is dedicated to fighting for a 100% renewable energy economy.

A 100% renewable energy economy is essential to cutting global warming pollution and ensuring snowy winters for generations to come.

We must take urgent and decisive action to reduce emissions to the levels that science tells us are necessary to prevent the worst impacts of climate change.  Snowriders believes transitioning to 100% renewables is a necessary step in curtailing our carbon emissions and protecting our planet. The 100% renewables goal is both possible and vitally important to protecting the future of snowsports in North America.

Renewable energy is good for mountains and mountain communities.

Renewable energy is also clean energy. Wind and solar power keeps our mountain air clear of pollution and alpine views free of smog.

We need to act now before it’s too late!

The good news is that the goal of 100% renewable energy is closer than ever. Solar and wind energy are both growing rapidly nationwide, and renewable energy now employs more people than oil and coal!

Snowriders International has fought towards this goal for years in our work on the Clean Power Plan, the Paris Climate Agreements and more. Today, we thinks it’s more important ever to reaffirm our goals and redoubling our climate efforts. If we are going to confront change and protect the future of snow sports, transitioning to a 100% renewable energy economy is essential.

Protect Our National Monuments

Bears Ear National Monument -By US Bureau of Land Management (http://mypubliclands.tumblr.com/) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

In April, President Trump signed an executive order instructing the Secretary of Interior, Ryan Zinke, to review 27 national monuments, including Bears Ear National Monument in Utah, Canyons of the Ancients in Colorado, and Basin and Range National Monument in Nevada and to consider opening them up to private development.

TAKE ACTION!

 

DEAR SECRETARY ZINKE,

WE THE UNDERSIGNED SUPPORT THE CONTINUED FEDERAL PROTECTION OF AMERICA'S NATIONAL MONUMENTS, INCLUDING CANYONS OF THE ANCIENTS AND BEARS EAR NATIONAL MONUMENTS. AS SKIERS, SNOWBOARDERS AND LOVERS OF THE OUTDOORS, WE BENEFIT CONSTANTLY FROM OUR COUNTRY'S PUBLIC LAND RESOURCES. THE PROTECTION OF OUR NATIONAL MONUMENTS NOT ONLY BENEFITS OUR ECONOMY, BUT IT PRESERVES OUR Environment, OUR NATURAL INHERITANCE, AND OUR PUBLIC HEALTH.

Basin and Range National Monument - By BLM Nevada (Basin and Range National Monument) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Canyons of the Ancients National Monument - Photo by Bob Wick, BLM. (http://mypubliclands.tumblr.com/) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Weird Winters

The winter of 2016/17 has been a weird one.  From record-breaking snowpacks in some regions to early resort closures in others, skiers and snowboarders have experienced erratic and unusual weather across the country.

This unusual winter weather is another side effect of climate change.  As the climate warms, precipitation and weather patterns are changing in complicated and unpredictable ways, causing both unseasonably warm spells, and enormous destructive storms in turn. In fact, scientists believe the warming and changing climate is causing more storms of greater intensity each year, even in places where total snowpack is depleting.

 A look back at the past winter alone shows the destabilizing effect that climate change is having on our weather.  Here are just a few highlights:

A Winter of Weird Weather

In early December 2016, Beaver Creek resort was forced to cancel their annual mens world cup event due to unseasonably warm weather. 

View fullsize

By Famartin (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

In early February, Jackson Hole Resort had to close for several days due to power outages caused by an enormous snow storm - “ a very unusual event” according to a Jackson Hole Spokesperson.  The same storm closed roads across Wyoming for almost a week.

By Torstein Frogner (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Also in February, the American Birkebeiner - the largest cross country ski race in North America - was cancelled due to lack of snow and warm temperatures in Wisconsin.  This is only the second time in its 45 year history that the race has been cancelled.

By Michael (originally posted to Flickr as Emerald Bay) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

In April, several California resorts announced they would be open into the summer, due to the size of their snowpack. The Lake Tahoe region received over 700 inches of snow this year, 250 over average.

This past weekend, Mount Washington in New Hampshire received a record breaking 30 inches of snow, while most New England ski mountains have been closed for weeks due to spring temperatures.

Finally, over all, it was an extremely warm winter - the second mildest on record in fact. And it’s no fluke; according to the New York Times winters are warming and spring is coming earlier and earlier each year. It’s “moved [up], on average, a full two weeks” in the last 50 years.

 

Climate Action is Essential to the Future of Snow Sports

While we can all appreciate skiing on the Fourth of July, we would prefer healthy stable winters for decades to come.  It’s important to recognize that the erratic and extreme winter weather we are experiencing, even the positive side effects, are visible symptoms of climate change. And without rapid meaningful action to combat climate change, the future of snow sports is very uncertain.

Help Snowriders act on climate by joining Snowriders today!

Colorado Public Lands Day is Coming Up!

Join Snowriders, Conservation Colorado and Rocky Mountain Underground at Arapahoe Basin on May 20th to celebrate the first Colorado Public Lands Day with games, prizes, and live music!

Saturday May 20th, 2017 marks the first ever Colorado Public Lands day - a day to celebrate the incredible resource that public lands provide to Coloradans. It’s fitting that Colorado would be the first state to formally celebrate their public lands. There’s a lot to celebrate! No less than 35% of Colorado’s land area - over 24 million acres - is public. Colorado is home to four national parks, eight national monuments and 41 state parks!  And by some estimates, public land generate $35 billion in spending for the Colorado state economy.  A large portion of this sum is thanks to all the ski areas that make use Colorado’s public land!

Skiers for Public Land

We agree with thousands of Coloradans, that public land are one of Colorado’s greatest assets.  Skiers reap huge benefits from this shared resource. For one thing, much of the land we ski on is publicly owned.  Twenty-three of Colorado’s major ski resorts use substantial quantities of public land including Arapahoe Basin, Keystone, Vail, and all four Aspen Mountains.  Without the use of public lands, many of these ski resorts could not function.

Skiers benefit from public lands in other ways as well. The protection of Colorado’s public lands keeps the mountain air fresh and preserves our natural inheritance for generations to come. Federal and state stewardship of the land surrounding our ski slopes also preserves Colorado’s awe-inspiring views.  Some of the most iconic vistas in the state - from the Maroon Bells behind Aspen Highlands to the peak of Crested Butte -  are public land.

Our Skiers for Public Lands campaign is working to build awareness for the important asset our public lands provide to us as skiers and as citizens. Protecting our public lands from private development is essential to the future of all outdoor recreation, as well our efforts to combat climate change and environmental degradation.

Come Celebrate Colorado’s Public Lands With Us!

On Saturday May 20th, we’ll be at Arapahoe Basin celebrating our public lands with Conservation Colorado and Rocky Mountain Underground! There’ll be games and prizes, a photo booth, and live music at the base as part of Arapahoe Basin’s annual swimsuit party!

Come find us at the base and take a photo for our #Skiers4PublicLands campaign!

Can’t make it to the event? You can still become a Skier for Public Lands by signing our petition here!

Spring Update on Snowriders' Transportation Campaign

In 2016, transportation overtook the power sector as the largest source of climate-change-causing carbon emissions in America. Over the past seven year, the production of electric power has decreased its annual carbon emissions while the transportation sector’s carbon footprint has continued to grow.  Part of the problem is our continued national dependence on personal cars to get us from point A to point B, despite its inefficiency and carbon footprint.

At Snowriders International, we believe that our carbon-intensive transportation sector needs fixing fast. Climate Change is increasingly threatening our sports, and air pollution caused by vehicles harms the mountain communities and natural places we love. And yet, the fact is, as skiers and snowboarders many of us rely on personal cars to get us to and from the slopes.  Often because it is the only affordable and convenient option.  

It doesn’t have to that way. Snowriders envisions a transportation system that gets people out of their cars and into sustainable, convenient and affordable transit options, not only to get around within cities, but also to get to the recreation areas we all enjoy.  The good news is that technology and demand are beginning to drive the expansion of public transit and rideshare services nation-wide. Over the past season, Snowriders has investigated and assessed the public and shared transportation options that are available to skiers heading to ski mountains near the Denver Metro Area in Colorado and Lake Tahoe, California.

CAR FREE SKIING IN COLORADO

Denver-area mountain recreation enthusiasts have learned to dread the weekend traffic on I-70 – the main corridor between Denver Metro Area and front-range ski resorts.  As mountain recreation enthusiasts flood out of Denver and into the mountains on weekends and holidays, highway traffic spikes causing terrible traffic jams and filling the roads with carbon-emitting idling cars.  The good news is that over the last few winter seasons, options for getting to the slopes without driving a personal car have increased in Colorado and smartphone technologies have made ridesharing and carpooling an increasingly efficient option.  Our guide, released in February with COPIRG Foundation highlights 13 shuttle or bus, and 8 rideshare options currently available to Colorado skiers.

GUIDE TO CAR-FREE SKIING IN TAHOE

An estimated 10 million cars visit Tahoe every year. And emissions are not the only problem associated with these cars. Vehicular traffic also forces communities and businesses to build larger and larger parking lots and is responsible for a large number of traffic accidents.  Our guide, released in March with Environment California Research and Policy Center, found seven bus or shuttle services and eight rideshare options to get skiers to the slopes from the Bay Area without their personal cars. The guide demonstrates that there are a number of options available to skiers concerned about their carbon footprint, but the cost and inconvenience of many of these highlights the needed for more work to make transportation out to Tahoe safer and more sustainable in future seasons.

Guide to Car-Free Skiing in Tahoe

Car-Free Skiing in Tahoe: Accessing Lake Tahoe from the Bay Area without Driving a Personal Car

 

For Immediate Release:

March 29, 2017

New guide from Snowriders International and Environment California Research and Policy Center shows fifteen public and shared transit options for skiers and boarders trying to get from the Bay Area to ski in Lake Tahoe without driving their personal car. The report highlights that public transit options to Tahoe from the Bay Area are limited, and advocates for greater investment and improved options by the beginning of next ski season. Find the guide here.

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