The Yeti Project Outline and Goals

Hello world!
Welcome to the temporary home of The Yeti Project. The eventual goal of this project is to bring together skiers and other lovers of snow, artists, and activists together to create awareness about climate change and inspire individual lifestyle changes that can collectively help reduce climate change and our impact on the earth. I would also like to create a community where climate change can be discussed and information and examples on how individuals can help will be made available.

Living in Alaska has given me a first hand look at the drastic impact we are having on our planet and I would like to do something about it, and hopefully inspire others to do the same. Spring is coming earlier than before, summer’s are getting hotter every year, glaciers are disappearing at a horrific and astounding rate, and the polar ice caps are melting. Not to mention all the other chaotic and scary things that are predicted to happen because of these changes.

As skiers, we should all be concerned about keeping old man winter around, and as people and inhabitants of this beautiful planet we should be concerned with managing the effect we have on the earth. The yeti is a mythological creature of snow and ice and is a symbol for the mystery and magic of winter. I would like generations after me to still be able to enjoy all the magic that winter has to offer. Don’t put the yeti in danger of melting! Read on if you would like to learn how the yeti project plans to achieve it’s goals.

Phase 1: Personal lifestyle study

The first goal of The Yeti Project is to change my habits and lifestyle so that I can reduce my energy usage and waste production. I plan to keep track of my daily habits and life for a week and then quantify my energy usage in some form. I will keep track of everything from showering to midnight snacks to the number of plastic bags I used at the grocery store. After assessing what in my life requires the most energy and is creating the most waste I will look for eco friendly alternatives. I will then document the time and effort it takes to make these “green” changes in my life. After successfully implementing all the changes in my lifestyle and household, I will recalculate my weekly energy usage and waste production and compare it to the initial data.

Phase 2: Marketing the yeti project, and harnessing consumer power to make a positive impact in order to fund the goals of the project.

I plan to create a collection of t-shirts in which a percentage of the profits will go to various nonprofit organizations dedicated to climate change awareness, energy sustainability, recycling, and other ventures aimed at reducing our impact on the planet. The other portion of the profits will go to starting and funding recycling projects in Alaska (and as the project grows hopefully elsewhere) and finally a third portion of the profits will go to sustaining the goals of The Yeti Project and keeping the yeti project alive. Money is power! and as individuals in a consumer society we have the choice of supporting businesses that are doing good and boycotting businesses that are damaging our planet. The production of the product is yet to be determined, but it will of course be created with the least amount of energy and using eco and people friendly means. The t-shirts will be wearable art and the eventual goal is to collaborate and feature artists who are also dedicated to minimizing their impact. The collections will feature the themes of goals of the nonprofits that part of the proceeds go to.

Phase 3: Inspiring others to make lifestyle changes

After becoming an expert in going green on an individual level and as a rad t-shirt company, I plan to encourage and inspire other to do the same. The first step in this process is awareness and education and then, more importantly, the second step is making sure people act on the knowledge and awareness. My hope is that buying a yeti project t-shirt will be a commitment to making small changes in your everyday life to reduce your impact on the earth. All the information on how and why individuals should make these changes will be available on the website and all you have to do is implement the changes!

Phase 4: Creating a The Yeti Project community

The project website is an integral part of this fourth phase. On the website, I hope to have information on how and why individuals can change their habits and be more green. I plan to make my personal lifestyle study and the findings available. In addition, you would be able to buy the t-shirts and educate yourself about the work of the organization that part of the proceeds are donated to. I would also like put together a list of businesses and products that are ecofriendly in order to educate consumers about green alternatives that they will hopefully want to use.

Eventually I would like to have a news feed that features every day people doing their part to minimize their impact on the earth. These stories would provide examples for how to do your part and to make the public realize how easily green lifestyle changes can be implemented. In addition to personal stories, I would post articles of interest regarding climate change and how we can help.

Within the ski community I would like to put together a team of riders that are dedicated to making green changes within their life and spreading awareness. I would like to focus mainly on Alaska riders but that might change depending on the success of this project. This portion would come after The Yeti Project is well established.

Phase 5: ?

I guess we’ll see what happens! Perhaps other products besides t-shirts, organizing events, projects beyond recycling?

Phase 6: AFTERBANG!



Thanks for reading! If you have any questions or comments please let me know. I would really like to see this plan actually work and come full circle. I am starting with phase 1 on May 19 and will use this blog to keep track of the results, so tune in often.