Climate Change is real! Assuming that if you read Field Mag, you’ve known this for decades. Sadly, it’s one of the most contentious debates we see in our current political discourse. As our forests currently burn, frozen tundras melt, and coral reefs die off, far too many people in America prefer to bury their heads in the sand and refuse to acknowledge there’s a problem, rather than accept the scientific fact. To say the least, it’s frustrating. But how did we get here? How did we go from almost joining the Paris Accord to total polarization on climate action? This is the question Jeremy Jones looks to tackle in his latest documentary Purple Mountains.
For those unfamiliar with Jeremy Jones, he is regarded as the most legendary big mountain rider and most vocal climate action advocate in snowboarding. His nonprofit, Protect Our Winters, has pioneered a collective approach within the winter sports community to battling climate change.
That fight is the focus of Purple Mountains, where Jones travels to the most conservative county in Nevada to meet with climate skeptics who are also outdoor enthusiasts. His goal is not to change their minds, but to listen and learn from their viewpoint—finding common ground to build upon in the ongoing fight against climate change.