Hey there, Booters, and welcome back to another semester of SLU! Of course, some of the best things about coming back spring semester are the opportunities for winter recreation, be that skiing, snowshoeing, ice-climbing, or just straight digging holes in the snow.
Another aspect of the return to school that makes it even more fun is the fact then when you come back to do these things, you’ll be surrounded by your friends. However, each of these activities presumes at least one certain condition: the cold.
I know I’m not the only one who has felt like this winter has been as much rain as it has been snow. Over the course of my time here at SLU, I’ve felt as North Country winters have warmed and watched as snow begin to melt in March instead of May.
Initially, this may feel good— I am among the first to rejoice when I get to shed my jacket for a more comfortable sweater. Of course, this guilty pleasure is certainly the result of one thing: climate change.
I’m not here to debate whether or not climate change is real(it is), whether or not it’s human-caused (see again: it is), or even whether it’s more the fault of corporations or the individual (100 companies are responsible for 71 percent of global carbon emissions—look it up!).
I’m here to look at a question that’s a little more personal: can you or I justify our winter activities in the face of such catastrophic environmental damage if it’s our fault?
Every weekend, passels of cars drive from Saint Lawrence to ski destinations all over the Northeast, ranging from the two hours to Whiteface to the three and a half to Jay Peak.
Over vacations, those trips extend further to places like Colorado, Montana, or even Europe. Of course, winter recreation’s carbon footprint doesn’t end there: skis, snowboards, gloves, jackets, helmets, and pretty much anything else you might need to be comfortable outdoors contains at least some plastic in it (unless your grandma thoughtfully knitted it for you).
Even things like lift tickets or the wrappers for granola bars are oil-based. Winter recreation is impossible to perform without use of Earth’s most dangerous natural resource.At a time when the heating of the planet’s atmosphere is only matched by the loss of its species biodiversity, is it really responsible to keep shredding the gnar, as it were? I argue yes—with reservations.
Part of the reason I love the outdoors is because of the value I can derive from it, value that includes things like skiing and winter hiking. If people couldn’t utilize their natural environment, then they would derive less from it and be less likely to want to protect it.
This is the philosophy behind organizations like Protect Our Winters (POW), which mobilizes winter sports participants from around the globe to fight climate change. However, there are certainly better ways to have fun in the snow.
To ensure your winter recreation is more environmentally friendly, examine each step you take, from location to gear. The next time you go to the mountain, carpool to avoid extra emissions. When going out to ski, stay local—not only will you have a lower carbon footprint, you’ll also help support local economies. Be judicious in your choice of ski wax (currently, mountainFLOW is the only plant-based wax on the continent) and choose less when it comes to buying new gear (if any). As we’ve come to find out in the past thirty years, there is no easy solution to climate change, much less one that people can agree on.
However, you don’t have to agree with everyone to take matters into your own hands. Appreciate the value of the snow while it’s on the ground and fight to keep it there as long as you can. Beyond any changes to your outing lifestyle, perhaps the most important thing to do is vote in this coming election for the candidate with the best climate action plan. After all, nobody wants to be forced to ski inside.