ABOUT

Riseline Carbon’s co-founder grew up ski racing, constantly chasing snow across the US and globe. As the seasons went on, she became increasingly aware of the impacts of climate change on a tangible level – glaciers receding at the summer and fall training venues, the erratic weather patterns, seasons with little to no snow, snow melting faster than the recharge rates allow (causing the rivers to flood), and the summertime wildfire smoke halting offseason runs and hikes.

Like anyone living for winter, we’re concerned for the state of the ski industry in the face of climate change. Will the sport that’s made us the people we are be robbed from future generations? What will our communities, that rely heavily on winter and summer tourism, become as the number of days with snow decreases and the number of days with smoke and wildfires increases?

Spending the better half of our lives dedicated to researching earth and climate sciences has taught us that it doesn’t need to be all doom and gloom. There are solutions that don’t require miracles and the time to act is now – it’s no longer a question of if these technologies work, but rather how fast they can be deployed at scale.

The international panel on climate change (IPCC) now acknowledges that addressing climate change at the speed and scale it demands requires carbon dioxide removal in addition to rapid emissions reductions. At Riseline Carbon, we’re coupling a wealth of knowledge in the CDR industry and best-in-class research labs with our love for skiing, the outdoors, and the communities these lifestyles foster to find innovative solutions to the problems at hand. Although we’re one of the most directly impacted industries of climate change, our communities also have an outsized opportunity to drive impactful and catalytic change. While the overall impact of the ski industry and travel may seem small in the face of global impact, we believe mountain communities are in place to lead – they can provide an example of what robust effective carbon removal can look like.

In ski racing, just as there’s a natural fall line going away from the gate, there too is a “riseline” coming from the gate straight up the hill. The key to a fast run is starting your turn as you cross that riseline – and of course maintaining an early but aggressive line, upper and lower body separation, pressure in the front of the boot and on the downhill ski and keeping those hands up. . . No one said ski racing is easy, nor is fighting climate change. Nonetheless, we are stoked to start rolling the ankles and knees to initiate this turn, this pivotal movement, of scaling durable carbon removal. Let’s make it a ‘fast run’ to reach our climate goals and preserve this sport and our communities for generations to come.