AP Photo/Keystone/Jean-Christophe Bott
READ MORE ABOUT:
If you love to play in the snow, climate change is a very real threat to your lifestyle. Snow levels are retreating upwards in many areas, leaving some prime ski and snowboarding areas in jeopardy. So what's a winter sports fanatic to do?
How about uniting your community and mobilizing them to have a positive influence on climate change? That's what pro snowboarder Jeremy Jones did in 2007, after witnessing first-hand the impact of climate change on the mountains he loves.
Protect Our Winters (POW) aims to harness the collective energy of skiers, snowboarders, and other winter sports enthusiasts to put forth a focused effort towards initiatives that will directly impact the winter sports areas they enjoy.
"Protect Our Winters is a tax exempt, non-profit organization dedicated to reversing the global warming crisis by uniting the winter sports community and focusing our collective efforts towards a common goal."
POW has some great corporate partners who share their vision, like O'Neill, Rossignol, Burton, The North Face, Dakine, CLIF Bar, and 1% For the Planet. POW is working with each of them to develop programs that achieve their sustainability and marketing goals, including positioning them as a progressive leader in the environmental movement.
Protect Our Winters Mission Statement:
"We believe that true change will occur only through a strong grassroots movement so we empower our members to engage local groups and positively impact their communities while also working with corporate partners and resorts to lead the change from a macro level."
POW focuses on these specific areas:
- Inspiring members to become involved locally
- Educating the next generation of environmental leaders
- Supporting innovative, alternative energy projects
- Establishing corporate and resort partners as leaders in the fight against global climate change
So if you love the mountains, and want to continue to be able to ski and snowboard in the special spots you frequent, consider joining POW and contributing to their efforts. You can also find POW on Twitter and Facebook.
More on Skiing and Snowboarding:
How to Go Green: Skiing and Snowboarding
Where to Get Green Skis & Snowboards
Top Green Skiing & Snowboarding Tips
