POW employs carefully crafted messaging, data-driven research, basic economics and people’s own self-interest to bring about important policy changes. Almost a quarter of our nation’s carbon footprint comes from fossil fuel extraction on public lands. “That’s mostly exported, employs only a few people and benefits even fewer,” explains Jones. “Arby’s restaurant employs more people, but the fossil fuel industry receives about $700 billion in government subsidies every year. The renewable energy sector was employing more people than the fossil fuel industry eight years ago and those numbers have only gone up.” “30,000 people are coming to Mammoth this weekend. All that money adds up.” says Jones. “The outdoor industry employs more people and creates more revenue than fossil fuel extraction. We wield very little power for how big of an industry and how big of a jobs creator we are. “ “There are 36 million people who climb, mountain bike, ski, snowboard or trail run in the US,” explains Molina. “That’s one third of the total voting population of the 2016 election. Together, these people have the potential to pressure politicians to make significant policy change.” “We don’t need every one of those 36 million people to show up, we just need thousands to show up at the right places at the right times,” explains Molina. “We need them to show up during local, state and federal elections and whenever there
The outdoor industry employs more people and creates more revenue than fossil fuel extraction. We wield very little power for how big of an industry and how big of a jobs creator we are.” — Jeremy Jones
are bills passing through Congress that need constituent support. We need people to engage elected officials at scale when we have votes like the one on ANWR.” “Big pharma and extraction industry have so much power with our elected officials,” laments Jones. “We are letting the fossil fuel industry buy our elections and ignore science. I can’t deal with that. It’s time for us to come together and say ‘Hey, we demand action! And if we don’t get it, we are going to come together and replace you with a climate champion.’”
Despite their hard work and carefully crafted advocacy, results have been thin. “In all honesty, there have not been a lot of victories fighting climate change,” bemoans Jones. “Largely, as a society, we have failed.” Molina is not surprised by societal failures, like the results of the recent climate conference in Madrid. “Implementation of these commitments is really hard stuff,” he explains. “And when you have a major player like the US completely missing from a leadership position things get a lot more
OPPOSITE PAGE: JEREMY JONES, HIS FAMILY AND MANY OTHER TRUCKEE LOCALS GATHER TO MAKE THEIR VOICES HEARD AND SHOW SUPPORT IN THE GREAT FIGHT AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE. THIS PAGE, TOP: JONES RIPPING SOME SUNRISE POWDER IN LAKE TAHOE, NV. THIS PAGE, RIGHT: JONES REFLECTING ON A TEN DAY SELF SUPPORTED BACKCOUNTRY SNOWBOARDING EXCURSION IN WYOMING. FOR MORE, CHECK OUT ROADLESS BY TETON GRAVITY RESEARCH.
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