Mountain Meltdown

Panel 1:
Porter Fox, Editor, Powder Magazine; Author, DEEP: The Story of Skiing and the Future of Snow (November 2013)
Anne Nolin, Professor, Geosciences and Hydroclimatology, Oregon State University
Jeremy Jones, Founder and CEO, Protect our Winters; Professional Snowboarder

Panel 2:
Dave Brownlie, President and CEO, Whistler Blackcomb
Mike Kaplan, President and CEO, Aspen/Snowmass
Jerry Blann, President, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort

Winter is coming. But is the season what it used to be? Tourism is one of the largest economic sectors worldwide and one of the least prepared for climate change. As summer fires and floods terrorize ski resorts and vacation homes in the west, milder and shorter winters with reduced snowfall may threaten the winter sports industry altogether. The last decade was the warmest on record, and the U.S. winter tourism industry experienced an estimated $1 billion loss and up to 27,000 fewer jobs because of diminished snowfall.

Without action to reduce emissions, analysts predict many of the nation’s ski centers will eventually be forced to close, especially those at lower altitudes. The remaining mountains will become more dependent on snowmaking, which will lead to higher energy use and potentially higher ticket prices.

How can winter tourism sustainably adapt to climate change? What are industry executives, skiers and snowboarders doing to mitigate effects and prepare for long-term challenges?

Join us for a two-part panel with climate experts, a professional snowboarder and industry leaders from the Mountain Collective, which includes some of North America’s most popular ski resorts.

Location: SF Club Office, 595 Market St., San Francisco
Time: 6:00 p.m. check-in; panel 1: 6:30-7:05 p.m.; panel 2: 7:10-7:45 p.m.; 7:45 p.m. networking reception
Cost: $20 non-member, $12 members, $7 students