Green Scene Gear: Green Wax

all natural ski and snowbaord wax won't pollute

There are more than 11.5 million skiers and snowboarders in the U.S., myself included. All of us who ski and ride have wax on our skis for the best glide on snow, and many of us rewax periodically throughout the season as our wax wears off. Where, might you ask does it go? As you ski, the snow gradually rubs off your wax. As that snow melts, the runoff, and your old wax, flows into the nearest mountain stream. Read Full Story...

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Saturday, March 13, 2010 in: Environment and Green Living, Gear
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Fish Fall from the Sky in Australia

freak event or new hazard of global warming?

TMPL_VAR MEDIA_FILES.USE.22742 In the midst of heavy rains in central Australia two weeks ago, fish fell from the ski in an Australian community located hundreds of kilometers from large lakes (Lake Argyle and Lake Elliott) and even further from the coast. According to eye witnesses, hundreds and hundreds of small white spangled perch dropped out of the sky two weeks ago in the community of Lajamanu, about 550km southwest of Katherine, Australia, according to The Northern Territory News reports. Read Full Story...

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Saturday, March 13, 2010 in: News and Events, Environment and Green Living
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Stolen Wallet?

Here's what to do

Last weekend a couple of friends were ice climbing in Vermont's Smuggler's Notch near Mt. Mansfield and they were benighted. When they returned to their car their window had been smashed, and one of the climbers wallet had been stolen from the glove compartment. Any way you slice it, getting your wallet stolen sucks. But there are steps you can take pre-theft to protect yourself and make the process of dealing with it easier.

Whether your wallet is lifted from you pack, your car or your pocket...here's what to do before and after to lessen the impact: Read Full Story...

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Saturday, February 27, 2010 in: News and Events, Environment and Green Living
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Ben & Jerrys Embraces Fair Trade

worlds best ice cream subs in fair trade ingredients wherever they are available across flavors

Though I may get some flack from my editors for writing about Ben & Jerry's as backpacking food, I think it's a legit claim based on my personal consumption of the stuff post hike. Not to mention that I know backpackers who are passionate enough about Ben & Jerry's that they've packed it into camp on dry ice for the ultimate treat at the end of a long, hot hike. So, now that it's settled that Ben & Jerry's can be considered backpacking food (not to mention ski racing food--the newest flavor is named after Hannah Teter--Maple Blondie), I am pleased to announce that by the end of 2013, from Cherry Garcia to Chocolate Fudge Brownie, all of the flavors in all of the countries where Ben & Jerry’s is sold will be converted to Fair Trade Certified ingredients. Read Full Story...

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Friday, February 26, 2010 in: News and Events, Environment and Green Living
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Green Gear: Packit Gourmet Bamboo Mini Utensil Set

cutlery from a renewable resource

Metal utensils scratch non-stick pots, and I find plastic melts around the fourth piece of french toast I'm flipping. But bamboo won't rip up non-stick pots, and unless you actually light it on fire, it'll flip your french toast, stir your spaghetti, and spoon cereal into your mouth for as many days on the trail as you can muster.

Those are just some of the reasons that I love Packit Gourmet's Bamboo Mini Utensil Set.
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Friday, February 26, 2010 in: Environment and Green Living, Gear
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Trees on Steriods

new study shows that higher levels of CO2 in the atmosphere makes trees grow faster

Forests in the eastern United States seem to be on steroids. They're growing faster in response to rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, two to four times faster according to a new study in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. It won't be long-term sustainable according to one of the study's authors, Dr. Geoffery G. Parker.  Eventually growth will outpace availability of water and nutrients, said Parker in an interview with the New York Times.

Parker's research and his conclusions are based his monitoring of 55 stands of eastern hardwoods in Maryland over a 23 year period. His study indicates that the local forest is adapting to the rise in carbon dioxide (levels are 12% higher in that area than 22 years ago when Parker first started keeping track) by absorbing more CO2 and growing like a teenage boy on summer vacation--in other words, significantly faster. According to the Times, "Dr. Parker said he had ruled out all causes for the sustained nature of the recent growth except for warmer temperatures, a longer growing season and the rising level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere."
Read Full Story...

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Friday, February 26, 2010 in: News and Events, Environment and Green Living
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Green Gear: Sierra Designs Cyclone Eco Jacket

A 100% recycled, waterproof breathable four-season shell.

Whenever the topic of green gear comes up, some company will inevitably claim that they haven't gone green because they're not willing to sacrifice performance. With the Cyclone Eco, Sierra Designs proves that you don't have to. Read Full Story...

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Monday, February 22, 2010 in: Environment and Green Living, Gear
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GoLite Announces Take Back Program

the first outdoor industry end of life cycle recycling program that takes back everything

Today, GoLite launches its m its Take Back program. The Company is now take back anything it's ever made since its first production run in 1998. It's part of the company's commitment to keep its gear out of landfills and to help educate its customers on how to extend the life of their gear. On the I'm Not Trash page of GoLite's website, you'll find tips on giving your gear a long life and a second life, from repairing it to donating or selling it, to repurposing it. No time or no inclination? You can also now send the GoLite gear you're done with back to GoLite, and GoLite will donate, reuse, repurpose, or recycle it. If GoLite can't figure out how to recycle or reuse a part of an old pack or bag, it will store it until the company finds a use/solution. What's in it for you? Read Full Story...

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Tuesday, February 16, 2010 in: News and Events, Environment and Green Living, Gear
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Green Scene Gear: Wonder Warmers

reusable hand warmers reduce waste

Like many women, my hands get really cold in winter. I often carry hand warmers with me, but I am hesitant to use them except in the most dire situations for a couple of reasons. First, once open they are basically instant trash; and second, cracking open a disposable handwarmer feels like throwing money out the window.

Wonder Warmers provide another option. These hand warmers are reusable, and contain non-toxic re-activatable ingredients (inside is a salt solution and a small steel disk). To activate the warmer, you click the disk back and forth a couple of times and the salt solution crystallizes releasing heat in the process. Once they're spent and you're home, you wrap the pouch in an old sock or some other piece of cloth and boil it for about 10 minutes or until the inside solution is totally clear and it's ready for reuse. Read Full Story...

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Wednesday, February 10, 2010 in: Environment and Green Living, Gear
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Telluride's Gondolas

a new take on public transportation

The town of Telluride Colorado has taken an interesting approach to the conundrum of public transportation to connect the town of Telluride with Telluride Mountain Village, the base of the resort, and home to many restaurants and shops. It built a public gondola connecting the two villages (actually there are three gondolas, including one that stops at a free public parking garage) that run from 7AM to midnight, and that anyone can take for free. The gondola is open 275 days each year during peak seasons. When the Gondola is not in operation, public buses transport people between the town and the village. They provide noise and air pollution-free travel with a view. Gondola towers are low profile, which keep them operational on windy days, and which keeps them out of sight and doesn't interfere with mountain views.

On the Gondola it takes about 12 minutes (with one no-wait transfer) to get from Telluride Mountain Village to the town of Telluride and visa versa--significantly faster than taking the bus. The gondola s funded by the Town of Mountain Village tax payers, and the Town of Mountain Village manages its daily operations. Check it out next time you are in Telluride. The skiing is worth the drive from Denver, or take a direct flight to Montrose, CO.

The long term plan: to connect Telluride with neighboring Silverton Mountain via gondola, though right now it seems more a dream than an imminent possibility

-Berne Broudy

Telluride. CO free public transportation is a gondola

Read Full Story...

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Monday, February 08, 2010 in: News and Events, Environment and Green Living
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