At the top of Aspen Mountain, a new art installation sits between the Silver Queen Gondola exit and the mountain restaurant the Sundeck. Made by Carbondale-based artist Chris Erickson, the art sculpture “The Melted Gondola” represents a vision of global warming’s threat to winter recreation and intends to motivate people to take action against climate change.
The Aspen Snowmass Creative Director Mark Carolan explains in the ski company’s release:
“We wanted to create a statement piece that represents not just our resort, but our whole industry. With it, we are encouraging dialogue, support, and most importantly—through our close connection with POW—strong action.”
The Aspen Skiing Company has partnered with Protect Our Winters (POW) to mobilize the outdoor industry as a political force on climate change. Per the Aspen Skiing Company, Colorado’s average temperature has warmed by 1.67 degrees Celsius since its first ski season in 1946-47. The company also stated that the Aspen Snowmass area has lost 30 days of winter over the last forty years. Glaciers and ice sheets around the world are melting at an alarming rate, and the ten warmest years on record have all occurred since 2005.
Skeptics of the ski company’s intentions abound because of the famous resort’s dependence on wealthy clientele and their conspicuous consumption. The art sculpture itself is made of plastic – a fossil fuel-based material and contributor to carbon emissions. The Aspen Skiing Co. nevertheless seeks to use its influence to create system change to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Let’s hope that this art sculpture will be used for many years to come to communicate the implications of climate change on people, the environment, and the things we love, like snow. As the sculpture’s artist states, “I guess the most encouraging part is people talking about it. I think action comes through the conversations.”
Protect Our Winters (POW) – The Future of Snow
A climate change forum at Sugarbush Resort in Vermont’s Mad River Valley. Moderator: Win Smith, President – Sugarbush Resort
Panelists: Cameron Wake, PhD, University of New Hampshire Sustainability Institute, Research Professor & Climate Scientist. David Perry, Executive Vice President, Sustainability & Special Projects, Founding President & COO, Alterra Mountain Company. Heather Furman, The Nature Conservancy, Vermont State Director. Aaron Rice, POW Athlete Alliance, Ski-Touring World Record Holder.
