Since 2007, Protect Our Winters has re-invested over $350,000 in initiatives that engage and mobilize the snow sports community. Here is a list of the some of our most notable accomplishments:
- Launched the Hot Planet/Cool Athletes educational program in partnership with the Alliance For Climate Education (ACE) –
giving pro athletes a platform to speak to high school students
about climate change and inspire them to become the next generation of climate leaders.
- Launched the Coal Kills Snow program to raise awareness of
dirty coal in our mountains and wilderness areas and takes
regular action against specific mines and coal fired power
plants such as the proposed Chuitna coal mine in Alaska, The Hayden & Pawnee plants near Steamboat, CO and the
proposed Belllingham, WA deepwater port.
- Lead annual delegations to Washington, DC with pro snow
sports athletes to meet Congressional leaders and urge them to support clean energy legislation. Delivered a sign-on letter in
2011 that asked Senators to support the EPA and it’s ability to regulate CO2 as a pollutant under the Clean Air Act. The letter
was signed by over 500 professional athletes, corporations and snow sports enthusiasts.
- Launched the “POW Riders Alliance,” an organization of professional snow sports athletes committed to fighting climate change. This program gives each athlete a platform to amplify their activism and unifies the message from the
professional snow sports athletes under a single voice.
- Produced Generations, a short film to contextualize climate change’s effects on the winter sports community. 200,000+ views/downloads, 24 film festival showings, 150 grassroots film premieres, broadcast airings,
Spanish/Japanese language translation, extensive global media coverage. Watch.
- Installed solar panels on three schools in UT, WY and VT, helping to educate students and teachers on the
functions and benefits of solar electric power.
- Led a snow sports coalition to Washington DC to premiere Generations on Capitol Hill and meet Senators and Congressmen in advance of the Senate vote on climate change, urging them to support clean energy legislation.
- Kicked off the Sixty Days campaign in March, 2010. Enabled our supporters to see where their Senator stood on climate change and to easily send a letter to urge them to support clean energy. To date, 3,000+ targeted letters have been sent to Senators from throughout the global winter sports community.
- Distributed multiple op-ed pieces to over 60 U.S. mountain community newspapers, authored by professional athletes, highlighting climate change’s potential effects on local mountain community economies. Read one HERE
- Funded sustainably produced film, My Own Two Feet. Held film premiere fund raising events to support local climate change initiatives. Over $75,000+ raised and distributed to 35 community programs.
- Grant to Utah Clean Energy, an organization that advances renewable energy, energy efficiency, and clean energy technologies in Utah and the West.
- Grant to the Office of Resource Efficiency to fund the development of renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, hydroelectric and bio-diesel power throughout the Gunnison, CO valley.
- Grant to Center for Snow & Avalanche Studies to fund the Senator Beck Basis climate change indicator study.
- Grant to Mountain Riders/France to help fund their resort clean up and educational efforts in the French Alps.
- Grant to SASS/Argentina to help fund recycling efforts in Bariloche, Argentina
- Grant to the Wolf Ridge Environmental Center to support the development of a climate change curriculum,
to be distributed to teachers in 2010.
- Grant to the Park City Foundation to fund Park City Green, a community climate change website, providing citizens and businesses with innovative and engaging ways to measure and improve their carbon footprint.
