The mountains are calling, and on this International Mountain Day, we are answering with refills.
As the year winds down, there is a very special date to remember. Every December 11th is International Mountain Day, a day the United Nations established to bring global attention to the environmental and community issues that impact mountains.
For those of us on the West Coast, especially in California and the Bay Area, mountains are our lifeline. They are like giant water towers that hold the fresh water we drink. About 70%, opens in a new tab of Earth’s freshwater exists as snow, ice, and glacier runoff, which is vital for drinking water, biodiversity, agriculture, industry, and hydroelectric power. Nearly 2 billion people, including many Indigenous Peoples, depend on water from mountains for their essential daily needs, livelihoods, and cultural practices.
Today, we honor mountains and the snow they collect to give us water. We also acknowledge the problem that plastic trash plays when it is brought up to mountains and how this impacts wildlife and drinking water. One huge solution for everyone to consider is bringing less waste up the mountain and using an aluminum refillable water bottle that you can refill along the way to minimize waste.
Why are mountains important?
Hikers, skiers, mountain bikers, and many outdoor enthusiasts love mountains for adventure, but more than a playground, the world needs mountains for survival.
Mountains do a lot of heavy lifting for the planet. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, opens in a new tab, mountains provide fresh water to half of all the people on Earth. Protecting them means we protect the nature and water we all rely on.
Snowpack and glacial systems act as seasonal reservoirs that store water in winter and release it as fresh water gradually in spring and summer. California’s Department of Water Resources explains that the Sierra Nevada snowpack alone provides roughly 1/3 of the state’s freshwater supply, opens in a new tab, which supports drinking water, agriculture, hydropower, and ecosystem health. Similar patterns occur in the Rockies, Andes, Alps, and Himalayas, where snow and ice sustain major river basins.
Mountain regions also support high levels of biodiversity. Studies published through the National Academy of Sciences and the United Nations Environment Programme have documented that mountains contain about 25% of terrestrial biodiversity and roughly 50% of global biodiversity hotspots, opens in a new tab. Steep changes in elevation create many microclimates, which allow species to specialize and thrive in narrow ecological niches. This creates refuge areas for plants and animals, especially in a warming climate.
They play a major role in regulating the climate since mountain forests absorb carbon dioxide and influence atmospheric circulation. Research from the University of Colorado Boulder and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), opens in a new tab shows that mountains help regulate regional and global climate patterns by affecting air flow, precipitation, and temperature gradients.
Intact mountain forests and soils stabilize slopes, reduce erosion, regulate sediment loads in rivers, and limit the severity of landslides and floods. The US Geological Survey (USGS), opens in a new tab reports that vegetated mountain slopes act as natural infrastructure that protects downstream communities. When these systems are degraded, hazards increase sharply.
Mountains support food and energy systems. Many of the world’s major agricultural basins, including the Indo Gangetic Plain and the Central Valley in California, rely on mountain water. Hydropower plants often depend on consistent river flow from mountain snow and ice. The International Hydropower Association and the World Bank both reference mountain fed hydropower as a cornerstone of clean energy in many regions.
Mountains give us water via the snowpack effect
When you look up at a snowy peak, you are actually looking at your future glass of water.
Think of a snowpack, opens in a new tab (layers of snow on the ground) as a natural reservoir. In the winter, snow piles up on the mountains, and when the weather warms up, that snow melts slowly. This water flows down into rivers and streams right when we need it most, during the dry spring and summer months.
This is huge for California and the Bay Area because we get the majority of our drinking water from these water holders. A report by the Public Policy Institute, opens in a new tab of California says that in a normal year, the snow in the Sierra Nevada mountains provides about 30% of California's water supply.
This system is also fragile, and data from the USDA, opens in a new tab shows that changes in how much snow falls and when it melts are like "alarm bells" for climate change. Less snow means a bad ski season, and it means less water for growing food and a higher risk of drought for everyone living downstream.
That brings us to the quality of the water upstream and how what we leave up on a mountain will always come back down to haunt us.
Keeping plastic pollution out of our drinking water
We love exploring the outdoors. In fact, you can see so many PATH bottles caught in a photo by nature lovers up a mountain somewhere around the world. But what about the visitors who aren’t refilling and are bringing in more trash than they’re taking out? Mountain tourism is growing, and unfortunately, so is the waste.
Trails that used to be clean are now seeing more litter. Research shows that plastic waste is a major problem. According to 5 Gyres, opens in a new tab, plastic makes up nearly 81% of the waste found in U.S. National Parks. This is one big reason the National Park Service has phased out the sale of single-use plastic bottled water, opens in a new tab. Some parks, like Yellowstone National Park, chose to partner with PATH for a cobranded refillable bottle.
This plastic trash takes away from the beauty of being on a majestic mountain, and it’s also damaging to wildlife and our drinking water. According to the experts at the UN Environment Programme, opens in a new tab, plastic waste on mountains eventually breaks down and gets washed away by melting snow. This pollutes the water used by people for drinking and agriculture, as well as the impact it has on wildlife.
When it comes to plastic waste, bringing food and drinks that are in refillable packaging to the mountains is the answer. For water alone, taking up a PATH aluminum refillable water bottle is one of the best ways to stop this pollution before it starts.
So what can you do? #ChooseYourPATH
It starts with simple habits and a mindset to refill.
Pack in, pack out
The easiest step is to leave no trace. If you pack it in, pack it out. By carrying a PATH refillable aluminum water bottle, you don't need to buy single-use plastic bottles that often get left behind on trails.
Help clean up
We can support sustainable tourism by helping local groups that clean up trails, whether through volunteering for a cleanup day or donating to the people who care for mountain environments. Every effort contributes to reducing waste in our natural spaces, including the mountain areas many of us rely on and enjoy.
Value our water quality
Remember the connection between your faucet and the forest, and the need to support rules that protect mountain water sources and keep our snowpack safe from plastic pollution.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why is an aluminum refillable water bottle better than plastic for hiking?
An aluminum refillable water bottle is better because it is strong, can be refilled, and recycled forever. Plastic bottles are often littered and break down over time, leaving tiny pieces of plastic (microplastics) in nature. Aluminum stays strong and keeps mountains clean.
2. How does mountain trash affect city water?
When trash, especially plastic, is left in mountains, it breaks down into the soil. When snow melts, it washes those chemicals into rivers that flow down to cities and agricultural areas where our food is grown. This means mountain pollution can end up in our tap water.
3. What is the main goal of International Mountain Day?
The main goal is to remind everyone that mountains give us fresh water, energy, and food. It also highlights the threats mountains face, like plastic pollution and climate change, so we can work together to protect them.
Mountains are beautiful, but they are also working hard to give us water and a healthy planet. From the snow in the Sierras that helps California farmers to the peaks that house unique animals, we need to protect these places.
On International Mountain Day, let’s do our part. We have the power to protect our water sources by making smarter choices. Ditch the disposable plastic, choose your PATH aluminum refillable water bottle, and promise to keep our mountains clean.
#RefillIt and #ChooseYourPATH this season!