Climate change is proving to have profound and irreversible impacts on many fronts. We must now take action against climate change, which threatens the sustainability of the snowfields that are so important to skiers and snowboarders.
POW (Protect Our Winters) is an organization that makes choices and takes action with an awareness of a decarbonized society in order to protect the natural field from the crisis of climate change. We are engaged in various initiatives such as making friends and enlightenment activities on the issue of climate change.
Beginning of POW (Protect Our Winters)
JEREMY JONES, a professional snowboarder who has ridden big mountains around the world as a core member of TGR (Teton Gravity Research), a film company in Jackson Hole, USA, established Protect Our Winters (POW). is 2007. With a strong passion and a clear vision to "protect our snowfields and future snow", POW's activities have spread to 13 countries around the world by friends who love snowy mountains.
And in February 2019, Protect Our Winters Japan was finally launched in Japan.
Goro Komatsu, a professional snowboarder who has led the Japanese snowboard scene for many years, has turned on the light of activity. He has long been aware of the need to protect the natural environment and has continued to advocate its necessity.
With Goro Komatsu at the center, POW Japan's activities began in Hakuba, Japan's world-class mountainous region.
https://protectourwinters.jp/
are passionate about outdoor activities and
https://protectourwinters.jp/ “What is Protect Our Winters?”
act to protect their fields and lifestyles from climate change.
"POW" carries out various activities under this mission. The vision he sees is "realization of a decarbonized society originating from the snow community." So that you can continue to slide on this beautiful snowy mountain forever. In order to protect our irreplaceable natural fields from the climate crisis, we must be able to make choices and actions that are conscious of carbon zero. I want it to become the standard for our snow community... In order to realize a decarbonized society, it is necessary to change the structure of society. In order to do so, POW argues that each individual must take action to bring about change. POW Japan is actively engaged in the following initiatives.
Movement Building=Making friends
Raising awareness of POW's existence and activities raises awareness of climate change among various people.
Even if one person's consciousness changes, it will be a great power when many people gather and form a community.
I want to be able to mobilize the power of the community to solve problems.
At POW, professional snowboarders, professional skiers, and other skaters who are passionate about snowy mountains are welcomed as ambassadors, and by spreading the message of POW more deeply and broadly, we can expand our network and connect our circle of friends through various events. I'm in.
Advocate Training & Engagement = Enlightenment, educational
symposiums, workshops, events, etc. POW's enlightenment and education actions are diverse.
In order to make the power of the community more powerful for problem solving, the environmental education program "Hot Planet Cool Athletes" is aimed at junior high school students and the outdoor community. We will all think about and take action.
Efforts toward a decarbonized society
From the perspective of the snow community and outdoor community, we will make concrete efforts toward the realization of a decarbonized society at all levels, including individuals, companies, communities, and local governments. With the goal of reducing CO2 emissions, which is a representative greenhouse gas that is said to cause global warming, POW will demonstrate strong leadership and promote actions together with local governments in ski resorts and snow areas.
Examples of POW JAPAN actions
Since its launch, POW JAPAN has carried out various actions in collaboration with local communities, governments, companies, ambassadors, etc. that cooperate with its activities. The Global Climate March in Hakuba, the Hakuba version of the Climate March held in September 2019, holding workshops on climate change, promoting participation in elections, and the official video channel “ POW JAPAN CHANNEL” It was introduced in STEEP.
" THINK SNOW ", I would like to follow up on this POW's thoughts and various actions firmly and continuously in the future. Following this "About POW Part 1", an interview with Goro Komatsu about the background to the establishment of POW Japan in Japan and its thoughts will be released soon. stay tuned!