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January is a great time to head up the mountain and learn to ski or snowboard. With the holidays (SolstiChristmaHanukKwanzivus) past your local ski areas are a little less crowded and perfect for beginners. Maybe you have a son, daughter, nephew or niece who would love to try snow sports. Ski resorts across North America are offering great deals (and prizes) for beginning skiers and boarders.

Patagonia doesn't want you to buy their jacket. Well ... only if you've already worn out and recycled the one you already have. I'm already there. Call me frugal, or worse, but I try to buy durable stuff and use it until it's ready for the rag pile. Patagonia has gone one step further and will recycle everything they make. But first, I have a pair of ski pants that need repair.

What: Hear Athletes Talk Climate Change On Capitol Hill.
When: Wednesday, September 14th, 2011, 6:30pm
Where: Orientation Theater South, Capitol Visitor Center, US. Capitol

Please join Protect Our Winters in Washington DC on Wednesday night, 9/14 for this unique, plublic event with Jeremy Jones, Gretchen Bleiler, Chris Davenport and Auden Schendler. They'll discuss climate change, winter sports and why athletes (pro and amateur) are an important part of the solution. Honorary co-hosts: Rep. Jared Polis (CO), Sen. Mark Udall (CO), and Sen. Michael Bennet(CO).

What: 24th Annual Tony Forrest Telemark Workshop
When: January 29 & 30, 2011 from 10 am - 3pm
Where: Ski Santa Fe, 505-992-5084

There are a lot of worthless (and nearly so) 'Green' books on the market. Drop by your local bookstore and browse the 'eco' section. It's amazing to see publishers continue to pump out pretty, but vague, books designed to latch on to the Green bandwagon. After trading emails with Auden Schendler, the author of 'Getting Green Done', I decided that I should read at least one more 'eco-book'. Now, I'm quite glad I did.

Can a ski area grow and be green? Must a ski area expand to remain competitive and attract skiers and boarders? Does proposing a development plan make a ski area less environmentally friendly? These aren't rhetorical questions, they apply to ski areas worldwide. For example, Taos Ski Valley has presented a 10-year Master Development Plan to the Forest Service. As Taos Ski Valley operates on Forest Service land the public is invited to comment on the development plans. So, here are a few of mine.

Black Friday. The day after Thanksgiving in the US is infamous for early-morning sales and hordes of shoppers. If your plans for Black Friday include a tactical shopping mission - I have a suggestion. Buy Durable Stuff. Whatever it is you shop for, choose products that are made to last. For a product to be sustainable it must also be durable. Now, how do you find well made, durable stuff?