Nordic Nation: The Good People Episode with Bill McKibben

Bill McKibben — author, educator, environmentalist as stated on his personal website. He is one of us, too: an individual dedicated to the sport and culture of human-powered skiing. Back when he was 37, McKibben penned a great book titled “Long Distance: Testing the Limits of Body and Spirit in a Year of Living Strenuously“. If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to train like an Olympian in the body of a burgeoning masters skier, it’s a great read. It’s also the real deal type of book from a writer who actually left a job at the New Yorker — not many people give up that gig — for the greener pastures and colder ski tracks of Vermont.

Twenty years after he wrote that book, McKibben, who just turned 57, is a Middlebury College professor and perhaps the foremost political organizer when it comes to the issue of climate change. He helped start the climate justice organization 350.org.

The author of many books, McKibben released his first novel this fall titled “Radio Free Vermont“. Let’s just say it has all the hallmarks of a good tale with some cross-country skiing and biathlon thrown in for good measure.

Nordic Nation connected with McKibben back about a month ago on Dec. 4, 2017. It’s pretty much an all-inclusive interview: climate change, World Cup, Simi Hamilton as an undergrad skier, and some discussion of “Radio Free Vermont“.

Enjoy the interview before we get sucked into the Olympic vortex here on Nordic Nation.

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