Advocacy In Action: Reconciliation is Back!

In the midst of the action scoping out the exposure below. AAC member Savannah Cummins

By AAC Advocacy and Gov’t Affairs Manager, Amelia Howe

This article originally appeared in Summit Register 005.

I know what you are thinking, but no, you are not having a deja vu moment. There is momentum building behind the reconciliation package, but this time, it’s focused solely on climate and conservation investments. We need you and the collective climbing community to write to your lawmakers in support of these critical climate investments in order to get this passed and enacted into law as soon as possible.

The American Alpine Club and other organizations like the Outdoor Alliance spent a lot of time in 2021 educating our members and advocating for the passage of a major social spending package, better known as the Build Back Better Act. While the original package was full of things like universal pre-K and affordable healthcare, the AAC worked to support this package due to the myriad investments that would address the climate crisis and improve public lands infrastructure. Summit Register 004 contains an article outlining how this package fell apart right before the New Year due to Congress’ inability to reach a consensus surrounding the importance of these investments. This political rollercoaster led many to believe that there was no hope for the passage of Build Back Better. Now that lawmakers are back from winter break and diving into a midterm election season, it is clear that hope remains for important aspects of Build Back Better. There is especially exciting potential for the $555 billion to be invested in climate and public lands provisions.

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Some of these provisions include efforts to:

+  Conserve threatened landscapes

+  Create climate adaptation plans within the Forest Service so they can better address how changing temperatures are impacting natural resources

+  Dedicate additional National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) resources for agencies

+  Better resource wildfire planning and response

+  Address and reform fossil fuel development processes on public lands

+  Fund climate resilience projects on public lands

+  Invest in urban parks and trail systems

+  Increase access to public lands and trails

+  Create a Civilian Climate Corps

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PC: AAC member Calder Davey

Climate change and aging public lands infrastructure should be at the top of mind for climbers when it comes to issues to address and advocate for in 2022. From a climber’s perspective, changes in climate will undoubtedly impact access to climbing and will, in turn, negatively impact the recreation economy. Inconsistent and longer wildfire seasons impact access to outdoor climbing opportunities during the summer and fall, and ice routes that once were classic are now rarely seen. It is easy to identify how our collective inability to act on climate will impact the sport. But the impacts of climate change touch every aspect of life, and these impacts on climbing are only a small piece of why these investments are so important.

An investment of this nature could change the trajectory of the US’ response on climate change, and the impacts will be deeply felt at the local community level. If you are excited about the prospect of these critical investments in climate action and public lands restoration, this is the moment to let your lawmakers know.



Climate solutions: A new look at carbon sequestration and the renewable energy sector

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Farm and forest land in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. Photo credit: Taylor Luneau

Articles about climate change solutions are hitting personal news feeds across the country. One of the most recent viral solutions highlights how trees really were the answer after all. In the highlighted study, a group of scientists took forest inventory data from 1.2 million locations across the globe and created a model of forest restoration potential. Their mapping highlights where new trees could be planted without having to take over agricultural or urban spaces and discovered that there is potential for 0.9 billion hectares of additional forest space which is more than 500 billion trees. Collectively, these trees have the potential to capture an additional 200 gigatons of carbon when they reach maturity and potentially cut atmospheric carbon by 25%. That is a lot of carbon capture! Tom Crowther, senior author of the study was quoted in the Independent stating “Our study shows clearly that forest restoration is the best climate change solution available today and it provides hard evidence to justify investment.” This is an amazing discovery and many are pointing to this as the most effective climate solution to date.

However, what many articles are failing to include in their reporting on this story, is that our current climate trajectory is negatively impacting our forest ecosystems, and will continue to shrink global canopy cover if we don’t change our ways, and fast. It seems the last sentence of the project report’s abstract was left out in many of the mainstream articles that circulated about the study: “Our results highlight the opportunity of climate change mitigation through global tree restoration but also the urgent need for action.” While planting trees to save the world is an exciting idea, many professionals in the field of climate science and climate policy are skeptical of the study and agree, tree planting alone is not going to save us from the errors of our ways, but most certainly can be a part of the solution. Many different actions need to be taken when we approach the pressing issue of our changing climate.

We recently posted a blog that touched on the importance of reducing our personal air travel, and if we can’t, choosing to then offset travel costs through either a donation based approach or a process called carbon offsetting.

While it's important for individuals to make informed changes to address the issue of climate change, systemic change is necessary if the world is to make the significant strides necessary to move the needle. An important part of this change will inevitably involve addressing how we manage our energy resources, specifically within the oil and gas industries. The current administration stands for an “energy dominance” agenda, and because of this, energy companies are producing record amounts of crude oil and natural gas. With over 12 million barrels being produced a day in the US, one would assume that the industry is booming, however, many of these companies are selling off assets and taking on debt, and six companies have declared bankruptcy this year. Yet when we look at the growth in the renewable energy sector, economic predictions show that new wind and solar will be cheaper than 96% of existing coal power by 2030. It seems then, that it’s time to start investing in clean, renewable energy, and divesting from dirtier, outdated energy sources.

At the end of the day, we need to continue taking personal measures to reduce our use and divest from the carbon economy. This could look like joining a volunteer day to plant trees in your neighborhood as the climate study above suggests, but it could also look like driving less, or purchasing an electric car (have you seen the new Rivian truck Alex Honnold is raving about?). You could commit to purchasing carbon offsets every time you fly, or using a donation based offset approach like Jet Set Offset. Another important action is supporting lawmakers who are actively working towards carbon reduction in their legislation. Decision makers hold a lot of power, but we vote them in. Get your friends to commit to doing their research and get them to the polls during your next local election, and start getting excited for the 2020 election.

Sometimes Flying is Inevitable: Here are some ways to reduce your guilt

Hitting the 50 lb baggage limit on the dot!
Photo Credit: Taylor Luneau

As climbers we are inherently drawn to travel. We want to explore new regions, summit far-off peaks, and send inspirational lines all over the world. Whether we are setting off on an alpine trip to climb Denali, or spending the fall clipping bolts on perfect Spanish limestone, taking a plane to go on destination climbing adventures is pretty common in  our community. However the research is clear that carbon emissions from aircraft are detrimental to our atmosphere. It’s predicted that in thirty years, 25% of global carbon emissions will come from air travel. We tend to romanticize destination climbing trips, but the significant impact of air travel on the environment is a real buzzkill. If that dream trip takes you beyond your local crag or mountain range, and you are concerned about your carbon footprint, you’re not alone.

It is hard to think about climate change in relation to our own behavior, but there are ways to quantify our impact on the planet. According to climatologists Dirk Notz and Julienne Stroeve, 32 square feet of Arctic summer sea ice melts per one passenger on a 2,500 mile flight. Reducing or eliminating air travel is one of the most impactful ways we can combat climate change in our own lives. However, air travel may be unavoidable. If we can't give up flying completely, but are concerned that our premium round-trip flight to Joshua Tree from New York is emitting roughly 1.2 tons of carbon (calculate your next trip’s carbon footprint here), then how can we make up for this large spike in our carbon-footprint? 

We’ve looked into a few options: 1) a donation-based approach and, 2) carbon-offsets.

Donation-Based Approach

On the donation front, we are pleased to announce that we have partnered with Jet-Set Offset in order to give climbers an easy, reliable, and verified way to support organizations combating climate change. When you sign up with JSOS, one cent per every mile flown is donated to the environmental cause of your choice. In our case, donations from JSOS will be used to help us take action on climate change through: 

• Advocating for smart climate policy and clean, renewable energy

• Educating and engaging climbers on the issues

• Developing research on climate impacts to recreation-based communities 

Each time you make a contribution, the Club will receive one cent per mile, which is the estimated cost required to offset the carbon footprint of air travel - taking into account the fuel efficiency of the aircraft and where a passenger is sitting (first class vs economy). So, back to that J Tree trip, for a 4,936 mile round trip flight, the donation to the Club’s climate work would be $49 dollars. Not a lot but it all adds up and makes a big difference in our ability to do our work.

Signing up once and making a donation is easy with JSOS and can fit neatly within the rest of your pre-trip planning. Once you’re done collecting beta on the route, sharpening your ice tools, packing the second rack, and somehow keeping your checked bag under 50 lbs - you can make your JSOS donation manually from your online profile, by emailing the flight itinerary to JSOS, or by an automatic donation with the flight purchase. 

If you’d rather go the route of traditional carbon offsets, here’s what we learned:

Traditional Carbon Offsets

Carbon offsets are a way to compensate for carbon emissions by contributing to projects that sequester or store carbon emissions on a local or global scale. While there are many carbon offset programs-- from local wind farm creation to reforestation efforts and wetland restoration, the impact of offset programs are varied and can be hard to track. It’s tough to decide what type of offset to support and it’s hard to know if your contribution will be effective in the long-term. For example, how do you know if the $36 you donated to plant a tree in the Amazon will be cut down a few years later?

The Natural Resource Defence Council (NRDC) outlines a few things consumers should consider prior to participating in carbon offset programs: 

1. Real: Does the program exist? Is the tree farm that your tree is supposed to be planted on real? Is the innovative project in progress?

2. Verified and Enforceable: Has a third party verified this program for legitimacy and can enforce the terms of the agreement?

3. Permanent: Will the program have a permanent impact or will it cease to exist before the carbon is captured? 

4. Additional: Is this project happening in addition to what is already being done, or is it just playing into an existing program? 

Here are a few third-party greenhouse gas (GHG) Project Certification Programs that ensure that GHG reduction projects are real, verified, enforceable, and result in permanent reductions. These will help you to identify a suitable Carbon Offset program for your next adventure. 

• The Gold Standard Foundation 

• The Verified Carbon Standard

• The Climate Action Reserve

• American Carbon Registry

• Green-e Climate

Seeking out the unknown through travel is part of our culture of adventure-- a way to gain perspective, experience different cultures, and see the world. However, with a growing population of air travelers and a changing climate, it is becoming increasingly important that when making plans to travel,  we do so with thought and intention. The next time you plan to fly, we encourage you to donate to the Club through JSOS and explore carbon offset programs to find a way to contribute that works best for you.

~The AAC policy Team