The Middlebury College Nordic Ski Team is starting off the athletic season with a clear conscience. Well aware of how global warming could eliminate their sport altogether, the team is going green to protect the white stuff. After calculating their environmental footprint — from the eco-costs of travel to the energy used to power coach Andrew Gardner’s office — the skiers decided to go climate neutral.

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They’ve partnered with NativeEnergy, a Native-owned renewable energy company that will use the money from the skiers’ offsets to support wind-driven local energy creation.

“NativeEnergy is proud to work with these athletes to help build new renewable energy projects that will help preserve the skiing experience we all enjoy,” said NativeEnergy’s Thomas Hand, who also happens to be a Middlebury alum and one of my favorite eco–dreamboats.

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Update [2006-10-6 14:3:2 by Sarah van Schagen]: I just received an email from Thomas Hand (swoon!) letting me know that the Middlebury Alpine Ski Team has also gone carbon neutral. Here’s to a great (eco-conscious) season!