PENOBSCOT BAY PILOT • February 28, 2024
The ski season in the United States has shortened by more than a month between 1982 and 2016. Projections show that we can expect a 50% shortened ski season by 2050. If that doesn’t show climate change, I don’t know what does. Machine-made snow is just a Band-Aid. We’re stuck in a cycle — make snow because of climate change, which leads to more emissions, which makes climate change worse. We shouldn’t have to wait for another devastating storm for climate change to make the headlines in Maine — it’s something we live with every day. Limited access to skiing is only one example of how it manifests in our lives. Machine-made snow is not a climate solution, but talking about doing it sustainably can get us a step closer to more ski days. ~ Agnes Macy, lifelong Nordic skier, Bowdoin College senior majoring in environmental studies and anthropology