Protect Our Winter’s (POW) marched up the steps of our Nation’s Capital last week, hand-delivering a letter asking Congress to protect the EPA’s regulations on carbon pollution, and secure jobs within the snowsports industry. Jeremy Jones, Gretchen Bleiler, Chris Davenport, and Auden Schendler represented POW in the meeting with lawmakers. The representatives spoke to lawmakers in hopes of showcasing a personal perspective surrounding the affects of climate change. Read more about the endeavor in Washington DC from the official press release by POW.
Gretchen Bleiler, Chris Davenport, Jeremy Jones, and Auden Schendler met with Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) to discuss climate change
Pacific Palisades, CA September 19, 2011 – Protect Our Winters Founder Jeremy Jones, 2006 Olympic Silver Medalist Gretchen Bleiler, World Champion Freeskier Chris Davenport and Auden Schendler, Vice President, Sustainability, Aspen Skiing Company visited Washington last Thursday to meet with key lawmakers and provide their personal perspective of climate change’s effects on our sport and economies of our mountain regions.
They also delivered a sign-on letter to lawmakers’ offices asking Congress to protect the EPA’s ability to regulate carbon pollution. The letter, sent to the House and Senate, was signed by over 500 pro athletes, businesses and influentials.
“Winter, as we know it, is on borrowed time. In our work, we’ve witnessed first-hand climate impacts on our mountains, from reduced snowpack and melting glaciers to dying alpine forests and shorter winter seasons. There
is no debate. Climate change is already happening and we’re seeing it every day.”
Amid efforts in Congress to block the Environmental Protection Agency from reducing carbon dioxide pollution, the group warned that the $66 billion-a-year snow sport industry, hotels, resorts, shops and thousands of other small businesses from Maine to California would likely suffer serious financial setbacks if climate change is not slowed, stopped and eventually reversed.
In Colorado alone, snow sports contribute $2 billion to the local economy, according to data from the National Conference of States Legislatures. The total economic consequences of just a 1 percent annual drop in tourists at Colorado resorts would cost more than $375 million and 4,500 jobs by 2017.
Lawmakers who want to protect the country’s air and water, and care deeply about the snow sports industry, encouraged the winter athletes to continue making their voices heard. “Protecting and preserving the job-creating benefits of Colorado winter sports means addressing climate change by allowing the EPA to move forward with sensible rules that limit emissions that cause global warming,” said Rep. Jared Polis, D-Colo.
“I congratulate the Protect Our Winters campaign for adding their voices to this important cause and for fighting to protect jobs in our mountain communities.”
“It’s important that the winter sports community is heard in Washington to counter the fossil file lobby and all those there who deny that climate change is taking place. It’s impossible to argue with the personal stories that the athletes have about the changes already taking place in our mountains and it’s time to tackle this issue head-on”, said Chris Steinkamp, POW’s Executive Director.
About Protect Our Winters: Protect Our Winters (POW) is the environmental center point of the winter sports community, united towards a common goal of reducing climate change’s effects on our sport and local mountain communities. Our focus on is education, activism and community engagement. Visit www.protectourwinters.org
TAGS: auden schendler, chris davenport, gretchen Bleiler, jeremy jones, pow, washington d.c.
