Follow me on Instagram @carolinegleich
As a professional ski mountaineer, I realize that participating in outdoor sports is a privilege. It takes a lot of time, money and resources to pursue activities in the outdoors — to buy tickets, equipment, and travel. Many in the outdoor community had the privilege of growing up in families who had the time, resources, and learned skills to venture into the outdoors for the sake of recreation – giving them disproportionate access to the natural world. Additionally, many people live far away from open spaces, public lands, and parks. Many don't even have access to clean air or water. It is imperative that we recognize our privilege and do everything we can to protect the environment, expand outdoor access, and create an environment with more representation and inclusion.Clean air, clean water, and access to the outdoors is a human right – and therefore should not be an activity limited to a privileged few. We know that climate change disproportionately affects communities of color and low-income families, who are statistically significantly likelier to live near polluting power plants, congested highways, toxic waste sites, and landfills. And the disproportionately high asthma rates in their children reflect this reality. An NAACP study found that African American communities breathe in air that is 40% more polluted than in other communities. The facts couldn't be clearer: climate change is the biggest social justice issue of our time. And the urgency calls on us to act now. All of us.That’s why, on January 31 in Denver, I’m organizing a march and rally with @katieboue + @outdooradvocacy for ALL of us to stand with youth activists and advance the cause of climate action. The time to act is now. Will you join us?Rsvp and show your support on our Facebook event – link below and in profile:https://facebook.com/events/s/climate-rally-2020/500339027334769/?ti=icl
