Climate Change and Snow Business
The big dogs of the ski industry never stop thinking about snow. The warming trend of recent years brings concern of how climate change will impact the future of skiing.
Ski journalist Porter Fox states in his book Deep – The Story of Skiing and The Future of Snow, that the warmest years on record have occurred in the last decade, and scientific trends suggest that climate change can reduce the Western U.S. snowpack up to 100% by the next century.
Ouch, that hurts all who like to spend countless hours on the slopes.
Equally concerned are Winter Olympic athletes Ida Sargent, Alex Deibold, Liz Stephen and Andy Newell. They’ve experienced how warmer temperatures have changed their sports, especially at the Olympic games in Sochi last winter. These athletes and others have joined Yale University’s Team Climate to lobby and garner support. They communicate that the ski industry has lost more than $1B in revenue and up to 27,000 in the past decade due to lower snowfall.
Some resorts get this and have spent a lot of cash doing something about it. The Aspen Skiing Company has a history of walking the walk, not just talking the talk when it comes to leading change in environmental sustainability. Recent capital projects to their ski areas include: a micro hydro plant, coal mine methane extraction, 170 KWs of solar, local food initiatives, hazardous waste reduction, light bulb retrofits and much more.
Matt Hamilton, their Director of Sustainability at Aspen/Snowmass, traveled to Washington D.C. to lobby Congress in order to address the damaging impacts of climate change.
The Steamboat Springs Ski Resort in Colorado is another area leading change. They’ve received the ski industry’s top award for environmental stewardship for it’s main project – a new $5 million lodge built using LEED principles that features: low-flow fixtures, efficient windows, composting, carbon dioxide sensors in the ventilation system, and energy-efficient light fixtures. Other efforts include more energy efficient lighting, snow-making equipment and groomers.
The large ski areas aren’t the only ones who are paying attention to this issue. Wolf Creek in Colorado has been recognized for their use of renewable energy source offsets like wind and solar, and for their water-free composting restroom designs. Jackson’s Hole Resort in Wyoming also offsets 100% of its energy use with wind and other energy sources. Both Arapahoe Basin in Colorado and Proctor Academy in New Hampshire were applauded for their green initiatives.
To broaden public awareness, professional snowboarder Marie-France Roy started The Little Things a non-profit snowboard documentary. The movie follows talented riders like Jonaven Moore, Jeremy Jones, Tamo Campos and others who are environmentally-conscious. Their goal is to show how everyday things like riding sustainable ski areas, carpooling and wearing green gear (such as solar-powered snow suits) would make a big difference over time.
As an individual rider, is the future of snow on your mind? What can you do to help?