For a company that actively promotes ethics, using climate change to sell its programs is dead wrong.

Ever since I took my first NOLS course in 1991, I've had ambivalent feelings about NOLS as an organization. Basically, I think NOLS has promoted the idea of nature as a museum more than anyone else. It is also a giant jellyfish of a corporation with its tentacles in almost everything outdoors. With that said, I have known a number of excellent NOLS instructors over the years, and count myself lucky to call a few of these fine folks friends. I have also taught a lot of students technical skills that I learned from NOLS. Basically, my own NOLS experience was solid, but not life-changing. Hence, I'm a proud alumni, but not a supporter. There's not quite the heart to NOLS that Outward Bound has.... At least the Voyager Outward Bound (of yore) that I am most familiar with.

After seeing this ad in NewWest.net I am absolutely livid, however. I would have expected this type of corporate insensitivity to the environment from Exxon or Northwest Airlines, maybe... But NOLS?? It really does show how far from the grass roots NOLS really is. Unfortunately, we will probably see more of this type of thing... From both NOLS and others as climate change accelerates.

I wonder how many other distasteful, before-it's-been-destroyed ads we could come up with??