Protect Our Winters

Protect Our Winters
Founded 2007
Type Non-governmental organization, non-profit organization
Purpose Environmentalism, Climate change
Headquarters Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles
Region served
Worldwide
Founder and President
 Jeremy Jones

Chris Steinkamp

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Website Protect Our Winters

Protect Our Winters (POW) is a non-profit environmental organization involving individuals in the global winter sport community and supported by companies in the business. The organization's goal is to bring awareness to and fight against climate change by means of community based projects, advocacy, and educational initiatives mainly across the United States. Founded in 2007 by professional snowboarder Jeremy Jones (freerider), the organization's headquarters is located in the neighborhood of Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles in California, United States. POW currently remains active in the mobilization of the snow sports community for issues regarding the effects of climate change.

Programs and Initiatives

POW runs programs and events focused on raising awareness and discourse on the impacts of climate change.

  • Hot Planet/Cool Athletes - POW partners with The North Face, Clif Bar and Mountain Equipment Co-op for an event that brings together middle and high school children with pro athletes to educate and discuss climate science.
  • Colorado Climate Partnership - A Colorado organization for raising awareness about the effects of climate change and dealing with these impacts.
  • Riders Alliance - A community of professional athletes that promotes environmental initiatives through their reputation, media and outreach programs to high school children.
  • Snowsports Advocacy - POW partners with leading industry brands and athletes and leverage their influence to mobilize the snows sports community, and campaign for action against climate change through publishing climate reports, supporting key political figures and through social media.
  • Powder Grants - POW invited students to address environmental issues through proposal submissions and funded the winning initiatives.

Activism

POW utilizes the influence of its members in advocating for its cause. Founder Jeremy Jones remains active in the organization's activities, from meeting with house representatives in Washington to creating partnerships with businesses.[1] The organization also sent a letter to congress signed by hundreds of people including professional athletes, industry personnel and the general public.[2]

In December 2012, POW worked in partnership with environmental agency Natural Resources Defense Council to publish a study determining how climate change is affecting the economy of the winter sport and tourism industry in the United States.[3]

The organization, despite the United States federal government shutdown of 2013, managed to send a delegation to Washington to meet with senators and discuss the issues surrounding climate change.[4]

On December 3, 2013, POW spoke with United States Environmental Protection Agency(EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy on POW's influence on the winter sport community and POW agreed to fully support the EPA and Clean Air Act (United States).[5]

POW partnered with several Yale students to meet with winter athletes during the 2014 Winter Olympics at Sochi to promote a more open discussion about the effects of climate change.[6]

POW also participated at a march at New York City during the UN Climate Summit of 2014.[7]

Members and Support

POW receives financial support from well known companies such as The North Face, VANS, Patagonia (clothing), and Mountain Equipment Co-op as well as many other corporate companies, partners, foundations, individuals, and resorts.[8]

Over 60 professional snow sport athletes varying from free riders to Olympians including names such as Gretchen Bleiler, Rosalind Groenewoud, Chris Davenport, and Nicolas Muller make up what is called "POW Riders Alliance". These professional athletes act as environmental leaders within the snow sport community and POW in turn supports each athlete's own initiatives.[8]

Media

POW has been featured in numerous news articles and magazines highlighting their efforts. They have also put out several public service announcements involving climate change and produced the films Momenta, Generations, and My Own Two Feet. [9]

My Own Two Feet

A film about snowboarders exploring off-limit areas of the Californian mountains by foot, without any motorized transportation in an adventure in search of deep snow.[10]

Generations

A short documentary film about the lasting effects of climate change around the world.

Momenta

A full-length documentary film about the American coal industry, from the risks of transporting coal through the country to a wider, global impact with regards to carbon emissions of the industry's burgeoning Asian market.[11]

References

  1. ↑ "Snowboarders and Winemakers Team Up to 'Protect Our Winters'". huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
  2. ↑ "Protect Our Winters Tells Congress Protect Our Climate and Support EPA". news.discovery.com. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
  3. ↑ "Climate Impacts on the Winter Tourism Economy in the United States". www.nrdc.org. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
  4. ↑ "Aspen Climate Activists Take Pitch to DC". aspenjournalism.org. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
  5. ↑ "Protect Our Winters Discusses Climate Solutions with EPA". powder.com. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
  6. ↑ "A Message for Sochi: Students Pitch Climate Story at Olympics". environment.yale.edu. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
  7. ↑ "What Has Protect Our Winters Done to Stop Climate Change This Year?". tetongravity.com. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
  8. 1 2 "Protect Our Winters: Partners". protectourwinters.org. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
  9. ↑ "Protect our Winters' New PSA". theskichannel.com. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
  10. ↑ "My Own Two Feet plot summary". imdb.com. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
  11. ↑ "Momenta Project". momentaproject.com. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
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