2015 NSAA CLIMATE CHALLENGERS
about climate. People’s cultural and political views are very well aligned with their position on climate change, and you can probably figure this out well before you wander headlong into a conversation. Don’t be pushy or preachy. It’s understandable if someone might not want to dwell on the topic of the dwindling snowpack if they just spent thousands of dollars on a vacation, only to find their favorite mountain playground reduced to a thin ribbon of manmade snow. So don’t beat people over the head. Also, nothing is a bigger turnoff than someone else’s self-congratulatory prose about their own world-saving efforts. Don’t toot your own horn, stay guest-centered. Do not argue. When was the last time getting into a fight
helped you open your mind and consider a new viewpoint? If you get pushback, you’re probably not going to be successful with this topic. Resist the temptation to be right, and move along to another subject. Aim to improve understanding and to promote dialogue.
Many people have questions about climate change, many are not sure what to believe, and some haven’t even really given it much thought. As a trusted source of information and a relatable person, you can have a helpful educational impact. Keep your expectations modest. Tink of how you build
a lesson with a series of gradual steps that eventually build to ownership. Similarly, imagine nudging people along in their understanding and motivation (see the sidebar about the “Six Americas” progression on page 51). If someone is uninvolved, perhaps they can come to realize this is an important topic. For the person who is curious, you can add some insight about what more they can do. Invite a two-way dialogue to see what insights your guests have to offer. Point to solutions. Climate change is intriguing because it’s
a problem caused by the actions of the collective. So it can be solved by the actions of the collective too. Solutions can be at the personal level, on a community scale, or focused on public policy efforts. Talk about what your resort is doing to address climate
change. Educate yourself on the ski area’s renewables and efficiency projects, along with shuttle/carpool or anti-idling initiatives. Find out if your resort is one of the 34 ski areas in the NSAA Climate Challenge (see sidebar). Climate Challengers are inventorying their carbon emissions, setting a target for reduction, and taking steps annually to meet their targets. Sharing this solution-oriented approach from the ski area can be a means to illustrate some of the many ways that people and organizations can take action to curb greenhouse gas emissions. As skiers and riders, our commitment to the snowy alpine
environment runs deep. Climate change may be one of the biggest challenges we’ll face, and we’re all in it together. As mountain professionals, athletes, and educators, we already know how to chip away at goals that are larger than ourselves. Collectively, we can do our part to keep the skies just as we like them – full of fluffy powder snow.
54 | 32 DEGREES • FALL 2015
Q Alpine Meadows (CA) Q Alta Ski Area (UT) Q Arapahoe Basin (CO) Q Aspen Highlands (CO) Q Aspen Mountain (CO) Q Beaver Valley Ski Club (Canada)
Q Boreal Mountain Resort (CA)
Q Buttermilk (CO) Q Canyons (UT) Q Copper Mountain (CO) Q Crystal Mountain (MI) Q Deer Valley Resort (UT) Q Giants Ridge (MN) Q Gorgoza Park (UT) Q Grand Targhee Resort (WY)
Q Hunter Mountain ((NY) Q Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (WY)
Q June Mountain (CA) Q Killington Resort (VT) Q Las Vegas Ski & Snowboard (NV)
Q Mammoth (CA) Q Mt. Bachelor (OR) Q Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Resort (OR)
Q Park City (UT)
Q Pico Mountain (VT) Q Snowbird (UT) Q Snowmass (CO) Q Soda Springs (CA) Q Squaw Valley (CA) Q Steamboat (CO) Q Stratton (VT) Q Sugarbush Resort (VT) Q Taos Ski Valley (NM) Q Telluride Ski & Golf Resort (CO)
Source: National Ski Areas Association
Karin Kirk is a Level III alpine instructor, staff trainer, and Ridge guide at Montana’s Bridger Bowl. She is also a climate educator and consultant for several climate projects, including NOAA’s
Climate.gov website. But most of all, she loves winter. LinkedIn: https://www.
linkedin.com/pub/karin-kirk/ba/857/286
REFERENCES
Leiserowitz, A., E. Maibach, C. Roser-Renouf, and N. Smith. “Climate Change in the Ameri- can Mind: Americans’ Global Warming Beliefs and Attitudes in May 2011.” New Haven, CT: Yale/ George Mason University Project on Climate Change Communication. Leiserowitz, A., E. Maibach, C. Roser-Renouf, G. Feinberg, and S. Rosenthal. “Climate Change in the American Mind: March, 2015.” Yale University and George Mason Universi- ty. New Haven, CT: Yale Project on Climate Change Communication. http://environment.
yale.edu/climate-communication/article/Global-Warming-CCAM-March-2015/ Marshall, G. “Don’t Even Think About It: Why Our Brains Are Wired to Ignore Climate Change.” Bloomsbury Publishing USA. 2014.
Shepherd, S.S. and A.C. Kay. “On the Perpetuation of Ignorance: System Dependence, System Justification, and the Motivated Avoidance of Sociopolitical Information.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology v. 102, n.2, (2012) p. 264–280.
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