Park City resident Eeye Hsu, a member of the community foundation’s Climate Fund Steering Committee moderated Wednesday’s conversation. She opened the discussion with some troublesome news from NOAA, the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration.
“They came out with a report that in June 2024, it was ranked the highest in global surface temperatures since they were recording temperatures since 1850,” Hsu said. “June 2024 and that is both land temperatures and ocean surface temperatures. And then the other data point that I that I had was that just a week ago, I believe it was July 22 was the day of the highest recorded temperature globally.”
While we can’t see the actual greenhouse emissions which are impacting our climate, we can feel the hotter temperatures and see how the climate is changing with increased drought, more forest fires and more severe storms.
With a reliable snowpack needed to ensure that Summit County’s resort economy can continue, panelists repeated the need to act collectively and decisively to protect the environment and way of life.
Park City Mountain Resort Communications Director Sara Huey said in 2017, Vail Resorts set a big goal – its Commitment to Zero to provide a roadmap to sustainability.
“They set out some very ambitious goals - gave themselves a timeline, that by 2030, we would achieve zero net emissions through our operation; achieve zero waste to landfill, which you see often in our day lodges and restaurants, you see the waste sorting. And then zero net operating impact on forests and habitat,” Huey said.
Now halfway through that timeline, Huey reported with the startup of the Electron solar project that the resort is a part of, including Deer Valley, Park City, Summit County and others, the resort is now 100% powered by renewable energy.
Still, increasing temperatures can have a huge impact on the world’s workforce and right here locally. In what is termed climate justice, Hsu said some residents are being displaced by rising sea-levels. Others are malnourished because there’s drought and here in Utah, she said there are those who must spend their days working in the hot sun and then go home to unhealthy conditions.
“Those who have to be out in the heat; they have to be out there in the poor air quality. They are the ones who are bearing the brunt of this changing climate,” she said.
Panelist Mairi Leining, the CEO of People’s Health Clinic, noted it’s not only the heat, but also the unsafe air quality both outdoors from forest fires and in homes that have no circulation or air filters that can cause health problems.
Both Hsu and Huey said the key to solving the challenges is to keep talking and get involved.
"They say that the best way to thwart despair and depression around climate is actually collective action,” Hsu said.
“It can seem daunting, but hopeful,” Huey said. “This is a quote I wrote down from yesterday, ‘hopeful individuals talk; hopeful communities think outside the box and find one solution.’”
With collective efforts and ongoing dialogue, they say Park City can set an example for other resorts looking to combat climate change and build a resilient future.
