Protect Our Winters
{{Short description|Climate change focused nonprofit}}
{{Infobox organization
| name = Protect Our Winters
| logo = Protect Our Winters (nonprofit) logo.png
| abbreviation = POW
| founded = {{start date and age|2007||}}
| type = Non-governmental organization, non-profit organization
| tax_id = 20-8474909
| status = 501(c)(3)
| purpose = Climate Action, Outdoor Industry, Environmentalism
| headquarters = Boulder, Colorado
| region = Worldwide
| leader_title = Founder and President
| leader_name = Jeremy Jones
| leader_title2 = Executive Director
| leader_name2 = Torrey Udall
| board_of_directors = Wayne Hare; Damon Berger; Massimo Alpian; Michael Bennett; Matt Mullin; Sarah Steele; Michael "Ryan" Leuthner; Joel Simkins; Bryan Cole; Greg Szewczyk
| website = https://protectourwinters.org
}}
Protect Our Winters (POW) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organisation that focuses on law reform for environmental issues and civic engagement campaigns such as sharing news from climate scientists.{{Cite news |title=DEEP: The Future of Snow: POW |language=en |work=Powder |url=https://www.powder.com/stories/deep-the-future-of-snow-interview-with-pow |access-date=2023-09-26}} The organization's headquarters are located in Boulder, Colorado, United States. According to the nonprofit's policy webpage, POW focuses its efforts on legislation regarding carbon pricing, solar, public lands, and transportation.{{Cite web |title=Campaigns |url=https://protectourwinters.org/news/campaigns/ |access-date=2023-09-26 |website=Protect Our Winters |language=en-US}} POW receives financial support from The North Face, Patagonia and CLIF Bar and many other corporate companies, partners, foundations, individuals and resorts.{{cite web |title=Protect Our Winters: Partners |url=http://protectourwinters.org/partners |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150416170742/http://protectourwinters.org/partners |archive-date=16 April 2015 |accessdate=10 April 2015 |website=protectourwinters.org}} The current executive director of POW in interim is Torrey Udall.{{Cite web |title=The POW Team - Our Staff |url=https://protectourwinters.org/about-pow/pow-team/ |access-date=2023-09-26 |website=Protect Our Winters |language=en-US}}
History
POW was created in 2007 by professional snowboarder Jeremy Jones, strives to turn outdoor enthusiasts into climate advocates.
Activism
In December 2012, POW worked in partnership with the 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.{{cite web|title=Climate Impacts on the Winter Tourism Economy in the United States|url=http://www.nrdc.org/globalwarming/climate-impacts-winter-tourism.asp|website=www.nrdc.org|accessdate=10 April 2015}}
The organization, despite the United States federal government shutdown of 2013, sent a delegation to Washington to meet with senators and discuss the issues surrounding climate change.{{cite web|title=Aspen Climate Activists Take Pitch to DC|url=http://aspenjournalism.org/2013/10/04/aspen-climate-activitists-run-into-dc-shutdown|website=aspenjournalism.org|accessdate=10 April 2015}}
On December 3, 2013, POW spoke with 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).{{cite web|title=Protect Our Winters Discusses Climate Solutions with EPA|url=http://www.powder.com/latest-news/protect-winters-discusses-climate-solutions-epa|website=powder.com|accessdate=10 April 2015}}
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.{{cite web|title=A Message for Sochi: Students Pitch Climate Story at Olympics
|url=http://environment.yale.edu/news/article/yale-students-pitch-climate-change-story-at-sochi-olympics/|website=environment.yale.edu|accessdate=10 April 2015}}
POW also participated at a march at New York City during the UN Climate Summit of 2014.{{cite web|title=What Has Protect Our Winters Done to Stop Climate Change This Year?|url=http://www.tetongravity.com/story/ski/what-has-protect-our-winters-done-to-stop-climate-change-this-year|website=tetongravity.com|accessdate=10 April 2015}}
In 2018, POW executed two congressional briefings and three lobby days, including the highest attended annual September Lobby Day (35 attendees meeting with a total of 30 Congressional Offices). They had nine companies represented, including Alterra Mountain Company, Aspen Skiing Company, Bemis Associates, Burton, Mt. Bachelor, POWDR Corporation, Ski Utah, Smartwool, and Spyder.
In Canada
File:Protect_Our_Winters_Canada_organisation_logo.png
A separate organisation, Protect Our Winters Canada, has 13 regional chapters and 32,000 members as of 2023.{{Cite web |title=Protect Our Winters Canada: MEC Outdoor Impact partner |url=https://www.mec.ca/en/explore/protect-our-winters-canada |access-date=2023-09-26 |website=MEC |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Protect Our Winters Canada |url=https://www.protectourwinters.ca/ |access-date=2023-09-26 |website=Protect Our Winters Canada |language=en}}
References
{{reflist|2}}
External links
- Adler, Ben, and Rebecca Leber (Grist.org), [http://www.salon.com/2016/11/17/donald-trump-president-obama-climate-change_partner/ "Donald Trump once urged President Obama to avoid the 'catastrophic and irreversible consequences' of climate change"], salon.org, November 17, 2016. Re: A 2009 NYT ad supporting the Copenhagen trip. 2014 letter from now-Pres.-elect Trump to Jamie Anderson, POW, for 'your great work on The Apprentice'.