SNOW SKIING TO WATER SKIING WITH CLIMATE CHANGE

Olympians to Obama: climate change is jeopardising winter sports' survival; 75 sports champions warn of warmer winters in latest effort by environmental campaigners to urge president to act on climate

Suzanne Goldenberg, 9 April 2013 (UK Guardian)

“Olympic medallists in snowboarding and skiing have called on Barack Obama on to save winter sports by taking ambitious measures against climate change…In a letter to the White House, 75 champions, including pro snowboarder Jeremy Jones and Olympians Julia Mancuso and Lindsey Jacobellis said a run of record warm years and sporadic snowfalls jeopardised the survival of their sports…a winter tourism industry worth $12bn a year…[and added that without] a doubt, winter is in trouble.

“The letter urged Obama to adopt two key measures promoted by environmental groups: new rules that would clean up the country's fleet of ageing coal-fired power plants and a shut down of the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline project…[It] was the latest in a series of initiatives by campaigners to push Obama to act on climate change by demonstrating supporting from different sections of the community – such as retired generals, religious leaders, and public health experts.”

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“Obama began his second term by stoking expectations he would act on climate change…But the White House has yet to follow up…Environmental campaigners have also grown increasingly apprehensive that Obama may give the go-ahead to a Keystone XL pipeline…Obama has been hinting widely that he does not yet see a political opportunity for the bold actions campaigners are demanding, or broad measures to reduce America's use of fossil fuels…”

[President Obama:] "If you haven't seen a raise in a decade; if your house is still $25,000, $30,000 under water; if you're just happy that you've still got that factory job that is powered by cheap energy; if every time you go to fill up your old car because you can't afford to buy a new one, and you certainly can't afford to buy a Prius, you're spending 40 bucks that you don't have … you may be concerned about the temperature of the planet, but it's probably not rising to your number-one concern. And if people think, well, that's shortsighted, that's what happens when you're struggling to get by. You're thinking about what's right in front of you, which is how do I fill up my gas tank and how do I feed my family."

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