USSA Advocates for Sustainability 

At the end of October 2017, The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) put out an official statement of sustainability. The organization pledged to reduce its carbon footprint in order to preserve normal winter weather patterns, thus ensuring snowfall for future generations of winter athletes.  Following their statement, USSA formed an internal sustainability committee, partnering up with the City of Park City, National Ski Areas Association (NSAA), and Protect our Winters (POW) to formally push their efforts.  Read More

Getting to 55%

Two days ago, on Oct 2^nd, India ratified the Paris Climate deal.  By signing on, India has brought  the agreement close to being truly legally binding.

In order to put the Paris Climate Deal into legal effect, 55 nations - covering at least 55 percent of global emissions - need to formally ratify the treaty. 

India represents the 62^nd nation to sign on and all signers collectively represent 51.89 percent of global emissions, according to the United Nations’ Framework Convention on Climate Change.

The ratification came on the birthday of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the Indian independence leader better known as Mahatma Gandhi.

The Paris deal aims to limit average temperature rises to 2 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels. The agreement also calls for countries to do their best to try to limit that rise to 1.5 degrees.  Major emitters such as the United States, China and Brazil have led the way in joining the agreement, as have dozens of smaller countries. 

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Climate Change

It's hard to understand why some people (including current presidential candidates) continue to deny climate change. 

From ensuring a livable future for future generations to the major economic impacts presented by a new energy economy, tacking climate change should be a no-brainer.

Below are some of the major economic reasons for getting serious about climate change.

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2016 Campaign

During this campaign season, the presidential candidates have done and said things that are downright laughable.  From hand size comparisons to steak sales,  it's been a very strange ride.  Many issues - such as climate change - are of critical importance to our communities, country, and planet, and we believe should be treated seriously.  Check out the presidential climate clowns and realists, in their own words, where they stand on climate change and the environment.  

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Arctic Warnings

Due to its extreme sensitivity to heat and cold, the Arctic could be called the "canary in the coal mine" when it comes to global climate change:  Scientists say the Arctic is now experiencing some of the most rapid and severe climate change on Earth - and serves as a warning for other areas of the globe.  

A Unique Environment

Most of the Arctic is covered in snow and ice, which are much more reflective than soil or ocean. When that snow melts, the exposure of dark earth (which absorbs heat) acts as a feedback loop that accelerates warming. A second factor that makes the poles special is that the atmosphere is thinner there than at the equator, and so less energy is required to warm it up. A third factor is that less solar energy is lost in evaporation at the frigid poles than in the steamy tropics. 

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All of the Above Energy Policy?

As President Obama crosses the Alaskan Arctic in a historic climate tour reinforcing his “All-of-the-Above” energy policy, a group of diverse and well-known environmental leaders has challenged him to take decisive action on climate change. 

The coalition collectively released a letter insisting "The moment of truth for your climate legacy has arrived" and is signed by the likes of Randy Hayes, Terry Tempest Wiliams, Winona LaDuke, Tim DeChristopher, Julia Butterfly Hill, David Suzuki, directors and founders of numberous environmental organizations, and individual citizens. 

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Initial COP 21 Progress Slow

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The Weather Channel Says, "The Science is In"

Who better to weigh in on a changing climate than the professionals, journalists and experts who have made weather their life:  the folks from The Weather Channel. Starting last week, Climate 25 is a series of interviews on the Weather Channel with prominent people who believe climate change is happening.  The interesting part?  The interviewees aren't just environmentalists, they are folks from across the societal spectrum - heck, Al Gore isn’t even in the lineup.

Spoiler Alert: the Weather Channel isn’t interested in initiating a debate about whether climate change is happening through these interviews.  The science is already in they say. And as their website states, "[we have] adopted a position on climate change that can generally be summed up as follows: we report the science, and the science consistently says climate change is real, humans are causing it, and we must prepare for its effects."

Further, the network says its "The Climate 25" series is about science, not politics. 

Who are the Climate 25?

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Pope Francis Speaks Out

Pope Francis is calling for an environmental revolution - a wake up call to not just the 1.2 billion Catholics across the globe, but to humanity as a whole.

In his encyclical address, an "authoritative teaching" document traditionally addressed from St. Peter's Square, Pope Francis makes his stance clear: climate change impacts us all, especially the poor. To prevent its catastrophic consequences we need an ethical and economic shift, a revolution in hearts and minds.   

Francis' encyclical address was more than a year in the making and drew from the work of dozens of scientists, theologians, scholars from various fields and previous popes.  It was published in at least five languages during a news conference at the Vatican. 

The Root of the Problem

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Doomsday Climate Change Reporting

We all know climate change is a major threat - potentially a catastrophic one.  But it is not too late to still tackle the worst effects of climate change and there are many solutions available. Unfortunately, a recent study published in Nature Climate Change revealed that news outlets almost exclusively report climate change doomsday scenarios and rarely report solutions. This unbalanced reporting leads to hopelessness, disengagement - even fatalism (when what is really needed right now is effective action).  

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