Carbon Footprint Reduction Committee

Background

Conservation has been an important part of The Mountaineers since its beginning. From advocating for the creation of national parks and Wilderness areas, to protecting current threats to our public lands and teaching Leave No Trace principles, The Mountaineers has ignited its members to stand up for our wild place. Today, much of the good work from the past is in jeopardy due to what is arguably the greatest threat to our natural world as we know it: climate change. 

But how best to address something as big as climate change? How does an organization focused on outdoor recreation fit in to this work? When the newest strategic plan, Vision 2022, was completed in 2018, The Mountaineers chose to continue the tradition of conservation by thoughtfully focusing on the reduction of the organization’s carbon footprint. 

To help accomplish this effort, The Mountaineers formed a committee of members with a diverse set of skills and perspectives. The committee was established in March 2019. 

The Mountaineers Climate Statement

Our Mountaineers community is actively experiencing the impacts of the global climate crisis. From melting glaciers to intensifying wildfires, the places we hold most dear are changing, resulting in more perilous access, loss of biodiversity, and degradation of wilderness. We believe that the climate crisis is fundamentally one of equity, which impacts not just wild places, but also human health and communities, and that future generations of Mountaineers deserve an equal opportunity to be inspired by wilderness and outdoor spaces. We commit to do our part by educating the outdoor community, advocating for public lands protections, reducing our organizational carbon footprint, and publishing books and other content that focus on and promote climate solutions, sustainability, and stewardship.

Read our full blog about our climate statement

Who are we?

This initial advisory committee of about 10 individuals is made up of internal and external stakeholders with interest on this issue. This includes the Mountaineers CEO, and Conservation & Advocacy Director, Braided River staff, the Volunteer Services Manager who has a background in carbon footprint measurement, and member volunteers.

Learn more about carbon reduction at the Mountaineers

What do we have to offer?

Blogs

We regularly publish blog posts outlining efforts underway at The Mountaineers to reduce our carbon footprint, and how Mountaineers members can reduce their own carbon footprint. 

Introducing The Mountaineers Carbon Footprint Reduction Committee

Introducing The Mountaineers Statement on Climate Change

How We're Reducing Our Carbon Footprint: Mountaineers Buildings

How We're Reducing Our Carbon Footprint: Food

webinar recordings

We put on webinars on various ways to reduce your carbon footprint, focusing for now on initiatives that save you money and/or improve your health.

Introduction to the Climate Crises- 30 min. Just how bad is it? Learn about a major tipping point that compels us to act fast.

Electric Vehicles- 1/3 to 1/2 the footprint of gas (and falling)- 1 hr 17 min. EV's are now mainstream and "range anxiety" is disappearing. Learn if an EV is right for you.

Eating for the Planet- One Meal at a Time - 57 min. Meat and dairy- animal agriculture- have a distressing influence on emissions, pollution, and land use.

LED Retrofits for your Home- 47 min. You can save half on your lighting bill and realize an "investment" return of 20-40% while reducing your carbon footprint in a measurable amount; the video presentation recording will help you decide what you might want and describe the scope of work needed. Additional   PDF and MS Word version reference documents available upon request.

Solar Photovoltaics- Power from the Sun- One hour 20 min. Lower your carbon footprint by spinning your electricity power meter backwards! Power your home (and even your cars) with photovoltaic (PV) panels. The  video provides a more complete evaluation than the free seminars put on by the installation companies. PDF version of the presentation is available upon request.

Send supplemental material requests to Charlie Michel at michelbike99@gmail.com.