Skiing green

Get your news from a source that’s not owned and controlled by oligarchs. Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily.


Winter blues for environmentalists often include the guilt that goes along with enjoying winter sports. Though skiing and snowboarding are fun, it is hard to ignore the toll ski resorts take on their surroundings. Keeping the fun of winter sports and their environmental impact in mind, the SKI AREA CITIZENS COALITION has taken it upon themselves to grade western ski resorts.

Recent Must Reads

11/29 – Cheney’s ties to Iraq

11/28 – Safe sex for plants

11/25 – The triumph of ‘wealth porn’

11/23 – Depleted uranium suit possible

Grading ski areas’ current policies on habitat protection and expansion, the coalition is able to steer environmentally conscious snow bunnies to spend their snow dollars at worthy slopes.

Topping the list were Sundance Resort in Utah and Timberline Ski Area in Oregon. Taking the prize of least environmentally friendly with a score of 19 percent (out of 100 percent) was Copper Mountain Ski Resort in Colorado for it’s plans to dump fill into a wetland area, expand it’s skiable area, and construct housing at the base of the mountain.

What’s independent journalism worth to you?

Our news will always be free to read, watch, and listen to online. But what is its value?

Unbiased reporting on the issues that billionaire-owned newsrooms won’t touch. Fearless research into the dark corners of government and corporations. Ferociously fact-checked news that focuses on the facts, and the facts alone.

It IS free for you and every reader, viewer, and listener to utilize. But it’s not free for our team to make. So, what’s it worth to you? Let us know by making a donation: Make a one-time donation today to support this work. Or make a monthly sustaining donation to help us plan for the future.

Whatever you choose, know that you’re supporting more independent, investigative journalism in a time when we need it most.

What’s independent journalism worth to you?

Our news will always be free to read, watch, and listen to online. But what is its value?

Unbiased reporting on the issues that billionaire-owned newsrooms won’t touch. Fearless research into the dark corners of government and corporations. Ferociously fact-checked news that focuses on the facts, and the facts alone.

It IS free for you and every reader, viewer, and listener to utilize. But it’s not free for our team to make. So, what’s it worth to you? Let us know by making a donation: Make a one-time donation today to support this work. Or make a monthly sustaining donation to help us plan for the future.

Whatever you choose, know that you’re supporting more independent, investigative journalism in a time when we need it most.

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

INDEPENDENT. BECAUSE OF YOU.

Mother Jones has no billionaires calling the shots—just readers like you making fearless reporting possible

Donate