A Canary in the Coal Mine | Opinion

A Canary in the Coal Mine | Opinion

My 27-year-old daughter asked me recently if she would be able to ski with her grandkids, given the changing climate.She doesn't even have children yet, but together we wondered if mine would be the last generation to experience the joy of riding a chairlift with grandchildren and taking in their huge smiles in awe of the mountains. We're already seeing 30 fewer days of winter here at 8,000 feet, and we know it's only going to get worse. Of course, a lot more is at stake than my theoretical great grandchildren's ability to ski, but this question hit me hard."At the rate things are going, no," I told her.Aspen Skiing Company has long seen climate change as an existential threat to our business. Like so many, we felt the harsh financial impact of closing a month early last year due to COVID-19 and realize this could be the new norm in the not-too-distant future.To reduce our own carbon footprint, we became an energy producer. Our most impactful project is a plant that captures leaking methane from the nearby Elk Creek Mine and turns it into usable electricity. Incredibly, it creates as much energy annually as we use throughout our four