Higher Ground: How the Outdoor Recreation Industry Can Save the World

Our world is in crisis. Democracy is fraying in the United States and Europe as polarized populaces dig in for winner-take-all politics. People are suffering and an environmental crisis is looming over us. Every day, we face severe news reports of the state of climate change. All the while our current Supreme Court is rolling back clean air standards as the former administration did their best to dismantle our clean water laws, our endangered species laws, and weaken protections on our treasured public lands. Our public lands are our American birthright, the places we go for relief from modern society and to know ourselves better. They are also the economic basis for one of our nation's strongest economic pillars, the outdoor recreation industry. Outdoor recreation is becoming a recognized force in the United States. As an economic sector, outdoor recreation spans from New Hampshire ski resorts to Yellowstone's Old Faithful Inn, from the fishing guides plying the Florida Keys for tarpon to gear manufacturers like the North Face. The sector employs 4.5 million people and is measured by the Bureau of Economic Analysis at $646 billion in annual economic impact. That is almost larger than the auto industry ($340 billion) and the pharmaceutical industry ($331 billion) combined. Through this book, my story, you will come to understand why our industry is so much more than fun equipment and amazing experiences. You will see that it is possible for the one remaining bipartisan economy in the United States to save the world.