Flex your BICEPs

Earlier this year, I blogged about the impact of climate change on ski resorts; looking back after the season has passed, every single one of our local resorts reported late openings, reduced snow pack, and increased reliability on snow-making equipment.  Ski resorts are clearly threatened by warming temperatures and decreased snow pack; their very existence is dependent on plentiful “freshies” or “pow”. The NRDC/University of New Hampshire study I referenced took an in-depth look at climate impacts to the winter tourism economy.  Here’s the good: winter sports activities in the U.S. support 211,900 jobs totaling $7 billion in salaries, $1.4 billion in state and local taxes, and $1,7 billion in federal taxes.  38 states had value added to their economies from downhill ski resorts and snowmobiling.  The industry generates revenues of more than $12 billion. $12 billion!  More than 23 million people participated in winter sporting activities in the study period. 

And now for the bad news: according to the UNH study, the length of the snow season in the Northeast could decrease by as much as 75 percent if greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, and the mean snow depth at Rocky Mountain resorts could drop to zero.  My quick math calculations tell me this is…not good. 

Enter the latest project from CERES, BICEP (Business for Innovative Climate and Energy Policy): an advocacy coalition calling for climate legislation to enable rapid transition to a low-carbon economy.  In April, CERES and BICEP launched the Climate Declaration, which calls upon federal policymakers to seize the American economic opportunity of addressing climate change.  The nation's health and prosperity "are threatened by a changing climate that most scientists agree is being caused by air pollution," the Declaration states. "We cannot risk our kids' futures on the false hope that the vast majority of scientists are wrong."  Well said. 

In May, 108 U.S. ski resorts joined 40 other businesses as signatories on the declaration.  " It is obvious that the success of ski business operations depends greatly on climate, which is why we are so invested in programs that keep our slopes sustainable. But our actions alone won’t be enough without strong policies,” said Brent Giles, Chief Sustainability Officer for Powder Corp of Utah, parent company to Park City Mountain Resort in Utah, Copper Mountain in Colorado and Killington Resort in Vermont. “We welcome legislative and regulatory initiatives that will reduce carbon emissions, incentivize renewable energy development and help improve our resiliency in the future.”

“We welcome the ski industry as allies in our work on climate and energy issues and as signatories of the Climate Declaration. This is an industry that cannot be off-shored, and they are calling for climate action here at home,” said Anne Kelly, director of BICEP. “Policymakers must realize that the old political paradigm of ‘It’s the environment or the economy; pick one’ is a false choice. American businesses are ready to combat climate change, and policymakers should join them in leading the way.”  Here’s to business leading the way.