EE&PL's look at the news, focusing on winter sports champions' plea to Obama on climate, green taxes, fracking and on climate change threat to food supplies

摘要

Olympic medallists in snowboarding and skiing have called on US President Barack Obama to save winter sports by taking ambitious measures against climate change. In a letter to the White House, 75 champions, including pro snowboarder Jeremy Jones and Olympians Julia Mancuso and Lindsey Jacobellis, said a run of record warm years and sporadic snowfalls jeopardised the survival of their sports and a winter tourism industry worth $12bn a year. "As professional athletes, representing a community of 23 million winter sports enthusiasts, we're witnessing climate change first-hand. Last year was the warmest year on record, and once again, we're currently experiencing another winter season of inconsistent snow and questionable extremes. Without a doubt, winter is in trouble."