Leaders from K2 Sports joined those from Protect Our Winters (POW) and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) on Capitol Hill earlier this week to discuss with Washington officials the issue of climate change and its impact on the outdoor recreation and snow sports industries.
After a round of meetings with senators from states known for winter sports, the group held a press conference outside the nation’s Capitol. Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA), the ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee which oversees issues such as climate change, hosted the group as they led a discussion on topics related to the shrinking of the world’s snowpack.
Matt O’Laughlin, senior engineer at K2 Skis, heads up the company’s Sustainability Team and was onsite in D.C. to show K2’s support for this cause. “We’ve been snow farmers for 50+ years,” said O’Laughlin. “The changing climate directly impacts the livelihood of our employees, athletes, retailers, the recreation of our customers and the health of our business. It should be apparent as we stand side by side with industry peers that this is a serious situation that affects all of us across the board.”
In addition to the President’s Climate Action Plan, the group backed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed Carbon Pollution Standard released on September 20, 2013.
O’Laughlin discussed the impact climate change was having in Washington State, where K2 Sports is headquartered, with the staff of Sen. Patty Murray’s (DWA).
With 23 million winter sports enthusiasts, more than 212,000 jobs, $12.2 billion in annual revenue and $7 billion in salaries dependent on consistent winters, the winter sports industry has a significant interest in climate change and the state of the environment.
