225. Can the Outdoor Industry Really Call Itself a Climate Leader?

<p>In this solo episode, I reflect on my experience attending the Switchback Event and unpack a question I can&#39;t seem to shake: <strong>Can an industry built on perpetual growth truly call itself a climate leader?</strong> </p><p>I explore why climate communication often falls short—even within companies that publicly champion environmental values. </p><p>And this episode also takes a more nuanced look at the historical values that continue to shape outdoor recreation today. </p><p>Rather than offering easy answers, this episode invites listeners to wrestle with the difficult questions that too often go unasked.</p><p>Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠<a href="https://www.instagram.com/outdoor.minimalist.book/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">https://www.instagram.com/outdoor.minimalist.book/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p>Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠<a href="https://www.theoutdoorminimalist.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">https://www.theoutdoorminimalist.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p>YouTube: <a href="⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@theoutdoorminimalist" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@theoutdoorminimalist</a></p><p>Buy Me a Coffee: <a href="⁠⁠⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/outdoorminimalist⁠⁠⁠" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">⁠⁠⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/outdoorminimalist⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p>Listener Survey: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠<a href="https://forms.gle/jd8UCN2LL3AQst976⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">https://forms.gle/jd8UCN2LL3AQst976⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠</a></p><p>------------------</p><p><strong>Sources &amp; Further Reading</strong></p><p>U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis – Outdoor Recreation Satellite Account: <a href="https://www.bea.gov/data/special-topics/outdoor-recreation" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">https://www.bea.gov/data/special-topics/outdoor-recreation</a></p><p>Prosperity Without Growth by Tim Jackson</p><p>Less Is More by Jason Hickel</p><p>Nature Climate Change (2024): &quot;The climate majority&quot; (Andre et al.): <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-024-01925-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-024-01925-3</a></p><p>Dr. Renée Lertzman, <em>The Courage to Attune</em>: <a href="https://reneelertzman.substack.com/p/the-courage-to-attune" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">https://reneelertzman.substack.com/p/the-courage-to-attune</a></p><p>Episode 153 with Ali Wines: <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/outdoor-minimalist/id1586174667?i=1000673036238" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/outdoor-minimalist/id1586174667?i=1000673036238</a></p><p>Episode 165 with Bray Beltran: <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/outdoor-minimalist/id1586174667?i=1000684664165" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/outdoor-minimalist/id1586174667?i=1000684664165</a></p><p>GDP Research on Decoupling: <a href="https://eciu.net/media/press-releases/2025/92-of-the-global-economy-is-decoupling-emissions-from-growth" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">https://eciu.net/media/press-releases/2025/92-of-the-global-economy-is-decoupling-emissions-from-growth</a></p><p>LinkedIn discussion that inspired this episode: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/megcarney_i-attended-the-switchback-event-in-new-orleans-activity-7475197240173744130-zdgT" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">https://www.linkedin.com/posts/megcarney_i-attended-the-switchback-event-in-new-orleans-