I have a tough time with this. First off thanks to Moto for praying to the Mountain Gods for us. I used to live in Japan so I think that is pretty cool, the shrines there are rad.
I have mixed feelings about being a snowboarder and talking about climate change. On the one hand, low tide is a problem for all of us who love snowboarding. It seems that winters are warmer, shorter, and with less snow over-all. My hope is that this is a short term trend, some kind of global micro-cycle. There were periods in the 1970s and 1990s when the Earth cooled slighty for a few years, fingers crossed that happens again. My fear is that this a long term trend and we all need to learn how to sandboard. :crying:
On the otherhand... I feel like we are the biggest hypocrites for worrying about this. We use tons of fossil fuels getting to mountains and up mountains. Planes, cars, snowmobiles, gondolas, high-speed quad chairs, helicopters, and snowcats. And we burn these fossil fuels for fun, not work, fun. I'm under no illusions that my hobby which I love is terrible for the environment, also it would be impossible to do without fossil fuels. Some pro snowboarders are so full of shit when they talk about the environment, seriously pro snowboarders use gasoline more than anyone.
So I guess I'm saying don't bullshit yourself and be as green as you can while being a snowboarder:
1. don't leave beer cans, chip bags, and candy wrappers in the bush on the side of a resort ski run (I'm embarassed to say I did this back in the 90s)
2. ride your bike to work as much as possible, I'm proud to say I used to do this before I had to take my kids to school. I will do it again once they are old enough to get to school on their own.
3. don't buy a second vehicle, I resisted this for years but once we had kids we had to get a second vehicle, sadly. I didn't have a car at all for a long time, just biked to work.
4. don't buy a huge house or 2 houses, live small and cheap. And live close to your work if you can.
Ultimately, if you really want to be as green as possible, you could always quit snowboarding and take up: skateboarding/longboarding, or surfing, or biking, or jogging. Otherwise just relax and realize that you are part of the problem. I have made my choice and I'm ok with it.