Porter Fox went deep in discussing how the amount of melting snow is going to be a large concern if something is not done fast.

On Tuesday afternoon Fox presented the information from his book “Deep,” and his experiences in skiing communities throughout the world. Fox said those who live in these communities are seeing the first-hand effects of global warming.

“We are the canaries in the coal mine,” Fox said. “We are the ones seeing change in our own backyards.”

Fox emphasized that he was not at Weber State as a scientist, but as a person who loves to ski and cares about the Earth. Fox invited others to go and vote for those who will promote more Earth-friendly behavior and lifestyles.

Fox wrote for Powder magazine, and as he talked to those living in different skiing communities, they all shared the same story: The snow is not as it once was. This led him to write “Deep.”

Some of the people he spoke with didn’t believe that global warming was an epidemic. He met a rancher in Montana who said he didn’t believe in global warming, but admitted he didn’t see as much snow and his winters on the ranch were not as cold.

Ogden Mayor Mike Caldwell opened the event and introduced Fox, explaining he believes this is an important and urgent topic for the city. Snow in Ogden is a big deal, Caldwell related.

Caldwell spoke about how Ogden has been recognized by the likes of National Geographic, the Washington Post and the New York Times, along with other publications, as a great town for outdoor activities and what Fox had to share “really matters in our community.”

Fox said that if the snowfall were to keep declining, in places like Ogden, the economy would take a big hit. With resorts like Snowbasin and Powder Mountain bringing in tourists every winter, a lack of annual snowfall could be detrimental.

Fox shared statistics of what could happen if the Earth increased 7 to 11 more degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the century, and that many of the ski resorts of the world may have to shut down in the next 30 to 100 years.

“This is a worst-case scenario, meaning we continue putting more fossil fuels, more greenhouse gasses up in the air and warming the planet,” Fox said.

Phillip Valle, a Weber State student, knew that he had to go to the event, and thinks that what Fox is doing helps people see what could happen if we don’t change the way we are treating the Earth.

“I’m really glad that he is doing all this work,” Valle said. “I would suggest that a lot of people are in the dark about all of this.”

At the end of the presentation, Fox said he was hopeful and optimistic for the future of the skiing communities. He admitted that “although we are well down the road” of climate change, action can still be taken to get the snow and skiing communities to where they were 100 years ago.