ASPEN, Colo. (AP) – Aspen Ski Area hosted a ski race without snow Saturday to highlight the effect climate change has on the outdoor recreation industry.
Auden Schendler, Aspen Skiing Company’s vice president of sustainability, says “climate change is already pounding businesses and communities, whether you’re a ski resort, an insurance agency or a raft business.”
Saturday’s event also included a photography contest, and participants wearing white formed a giant white dot on the snowless slope to draw attention to the effects of climate change.
Organizers say the gathering in the Colorado ski town was part of more than 1,000 rallies taking place in more than 100 countries in an effort to “connect the dots” between extreme weather and climate change. The day’s events were organized by 350.org, an environmental group co-founded by Vermont activist Bill McKibben.
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