Olympians to Obama: climate change is jeopardising winter sports' survival
Source: The Guardian
Olympic medallists in snowboarding and skiing have called on Barack Obama on to save winter sports by taking ambitious measures against climate change.
In a letter to the White House, 75 champions, including pro snowboarder Jeremy Jones and Olympians Julia Mancuso and Lindsey Jacobellis said a run of record warm years and sporadic snowfalls jeopardised the survival of their sports and a winter tourism industry worth $12bn a year.
"As professional athletes, representing a community of 23 million winter sports enthusiasts, we're witnessing climate change first-hand. Last year was the warmest year on record, and once again, we're currently experiencing another winter season of inconsistent snow and questionable extremes. Without a doubt, winter is in trouble.
The letter urged Obama to adopt two key measures promoted by environmental groups: new rules that would clean up the country's fleet of ageing coal-fired power plants and a shut down of the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline project.
Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/apr/09/winter-olympians-obama-climate-change
Chakab
(1,727 posts)has CEOs to appease.
Kolesar
(31,182 posts)Bluestar
(1,400 posts)People don't get that climate change is about survival and our way of life, not sports.
Kolesar
(31,182 posts)And visibility of energy problems in this sports industry is exactly what we need.
JudyM
(29,274 posts)Those with the power to act come from a 'how's it going to affect us this quarter?" business-centeric mindframe, and climate change is still viewed as far off.