Like many in Juneau, winter at Eaglecrest is the high point of my year. The frosted trees, the expansive view of Admiralty Island from Pittman’s Ridge, and the 10-minute conversations with strangers as we ride the lift reflect what I most love about living here. We all cherish our local mountain, and whatever political stripe one may be, when you’re on the chair, we’re reminded that we’re part of one community, and as long you don’t litter on the slope or poach my line on a powder day, I am 100 percent on your side.
Juneau skiers and boarders pride themselves on having a good time no matter how adverse the conditions. Whether it’s a howling white-out or glue-like mashed potatoes, Eaglecrest denizens laugh and launch. Conversations are focused on snow conditions, gear, inferior Outside ski areas and past epic wipeouts. What else matters?
This year, though, many of my lift conversations took on a cautious, worrisome tone. In the last four seasons, we’ve had one complete season, two shortened seasons and one season where the mountain didn’t even open. We’re die-hards, so we’ll keep anteing up for season’s passes no matter what. But in all these conversations, what no one wants to acknowledge is that without decisive action, global warming will end our ski season permanently.
I myself rarely say the words “climate change” on the lift. It’s a sure conversation stopper, both because global warming is immense and depressing, and because politics has become a poisonous topic, and human-caused climate change has been deemed “political,” even when the facts are staring us in the face all winter long. The Northwest Passage is now open to cruise ship traffic, our glaciers are disappearing, and the slow collapse of fisheries is under way, but we’re all subject to a strange paralysis. We don’t want to take time out of our routine to confront global warming, so we choose not to mention it, or make a joke, or change the subject.
This sort of climate change denial goes across the political spectrum. Many of my most liberal friends and relatives are no more active against climate change than the most science-averse fan of Fox News. This is a human problem, not a right or left problem.
Unfortunately, we are losing this battle. At a time when humanity needs to be replacing fossil fuels with renewables in a massive burst of investment, we’ve taken a huge step backwards. Without vigorous action, we will watch Eaglecrest close and watch our king salmon go extinct or nearly so, along with many of our shellfish, sea birds and other creatures. It’s only a question of how fast and how much. Looking further down this road, as societies collapse due to drought and flooding, human suffering will be massive. This is a few decades away, not generations. In fact, at Eaglecrest, it’s now.
The good news is that there is still time for us to prevent the worst effects. Individually, electric heat pumps can reduce our heating bills 40-60 percent, while electric cars transport us cheaply without burning oil. Juneau has taken a big step into the future with the Renewable Energy Strategy, a plan to reduce our carbon footprint by 80 percent. Local groups like Renewable Juneau, 350.org, Interfaith Power and Light, Juneau Electric Vehicle Association, Juneau Commission on Sustainability and the Juneau Economic Development Council are working hard and need help. Even better, be the driving force in your own group or church.
Larger change, though, the change that can save us, does involve rearranging our worldview. We need to stop voting for politicians who want to melt down Eaglecrest, and we must advocate loudly for reduced waste and a rapid transition to renewable energy. This will provide new jobs and discoveries that move our country forward, instead of watching China and Europe leave us behind.
If you’ve ever thought to yourself “Someday I’d like to do something for the world,” or sat on the chairlift and thought, “Someday I’m going to ride this lift with my grandchildren,” now is the time to secure that future. We are running out of chances.
• Stuart Cohen is a local businessman, novelist and a chairperson of Alaska Interfaith Power and Light, an interfaith group dedicated to fighting climate change.
