The Current: September 16th 2020

Topophilia is excited to bring you the first episode of The Current. In a time where there are so many things competing for our attention, we want to be a source of relevant information about the places you care about and the issues that affect them. Here’s what you can expect: every 2 weeks (or so) we’ll bring you a new episode with 3-4 summaries of insightful and noteworthy stories. Whether it’s books, podcasts, articles or films, the idea is to give you a chance to stay on top of the issues you care about and maybe learn something new.

This week, we have four stories to share:

• With the public release of Patagonia’s latest film Public Trust just a few weeks away, Topophilia hosted a pre-release screening and discussion with our listeners. The film pushed us to think critically about issues that face our public lands and how we can come together to fight for them. Click here for more info about Public Trust.
• After the coronavirus pandemic shuttered ski areas early last spring, resorts across the country have begun releasing their plans for operating during the upcoming winter. Will reservation systems make it impossible to have a casual day of skiing? Or is this a potential model for the future to combat the overcrowding that has recently threatened the ski resort experience? Check out the following:
  • Letter to Epic Pass Holders (Vail Resorts)
  • Mt. Baker Ski Area COVID-19 Notice
  • Letter to Ikon Pass Holders (Alterra Mountain Co.)
• With the pandemic making most summer city activities like concerts and farmers markets prohibitive, people all over the country are spending unprecedented amounts of time outdoors. Many of them are first time campers or hikers, and there have been reports across the west of overcrowding and destruction of public lands. We talked to Lynda Mapes, author of the Seattle Times article, Recreation becomes ‘wreckreation’ as careless outdoor adventures turn destructive, spark wildfires. Link to the Seattle Times article.
• As the Black Lives Matter movement has forced a reckoning on police brutality and race relations in America, high scrutiny has been paid to corporations and how they perpetuate these problems. After weeks of silence, Patagonia acknowledged its shortcomings in an Instagram post.

Music in this episode courtesy of freemusicarchive.org.