As a ski instructor, I see first hand the effects of climate change and in the short period of 15 years that I have been spending much of my time in the snow, I have already seen a clear and obvious change: The seasons are generally shorter, the snow line is generally higher and the amount of glacial retreat is shocking. In Chamonix for example, when finishing the Vallée Blanche, the distance between the sign posts of where the glacier level was in previous years is huge: the Mer de Glace glacier is receeding about 30 metres per year. That's almost half a kilometer since I became an instructor!

The climate crisis is scary and the stakes are existential - but collapse is not inevitable and there is much to be optimistic about.

Renewable energy is now cheaper than fossil fuels in most of the world and scientific progress is accelerating. Solar and wind are the cheapest sources of new electricity generation in the majority of the world's energy markets, and battery storage costs have fallen by more than 80% in the past decade. Breakthroughs in cleaner tech, from carbon removal to low emission steel and green hydrogen, are emerging faster than most experts predicted, offering real hope for decarbonisation in the forseeable future. Given the exponential rate of technological development that we are seeing - its seems absolutely possible that we can fix the problems of greenhouse gases and energy production.

With all that in mind, I see doomerism, fatalism and habitual pessimism as a big part of the problem - a narrative which discourages action and dissuades responsibility. I believe we have a responsibility to imagine a brighter future. A sad, negative mindset is less effective than some form critical optimism. We don't need people to complain about the problem - we are far past the point of arguing about whether climate change is real or if is caused by human activity. Now we need to imagine a brighter future, to focus on solutions and to fight for every fraction of a degree with all the options we have in the toolbox. 

Now I have got that rant off my chest - welcome to my webpage offering tangible actions and solutions that my audience of skiers and snowboarders can participate in. This is an ongoing project which I will continue building upon, and I welcome any feedback via [email protected]. 

Thanks, George