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 about our climate statement.
Who are we?
This advisory committee of about 6 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, 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
- How We're Reducing Our Carbon Footprint: Transportation
- How We're Reducing Our Carbon Footprint: Electric Vehicles
- How We're Reducing Our Carbon Footprint: Offsets
- Announcing the Tacoma Program Center Net-Zero Energy Project
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: 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), 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: Meat and dairy- animal agriculture- have a distressing influence on emissions, pollution, and land use.
- LED Retrofits for your Home: 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: 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.
- Climate Change Speaker Series Recap: During Earth Month in 2021, the Mountaineers Carbon Footprint Reduction Committee hosted a Climate Change Speaker Series to help our community learn more about the climate crisis. Mountaineers members and a Mountaineers Books author shared insights about how climate change will affect our world, our wild places, and our lives.
Additional Resources
- Podcast: The Way Forward Regenerative Conversations, produced by Carbon Footprint Reduction Committee member Jim Burke.
Carbon Footprint Reduction PiLot Campaign
As Mountaineers, our adventures may be sparked by a love of the outdoors, but they come at an environmental cost. Although we practice low-impact recreation principles, we still drive long distances to trailheads, shop at outfitters for the latest gear, and utilize other resources that increase our carbon footprint. So as an outdoor community, we are committed to doing our part to minimize and mitigate our impact.
The Mountaineers has set an ambitious goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions for our facilities and operations.
We invite our community to contribute to our Carbon Footprint Reduction efforts. Donations help offset the overall carbon footprint of our outdoor community, starting with tangible modifications to our outdoor centers.