Some tips to help you fight climate change and save the slopes.
A snowy winter season is of optimal importance for the skiing and snowboarding industry. But less snowfall and higher temperatures due to climate change increasingly threaten the length and success of the season, creating an environment that may one day be inhospitable for skiers and boarders. Forty-seven Alpine resorts couldn’t open in 2007 due to a lack of snow.
The winter sports industry is in an awkward position: Large ski and snowboard resorts use large amounts of energy and release high levels of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere in order to keep their resorts running smoothly, yet those same actions come back to haunt them. Winter resorts are now taking charge and turning green in order to ensure their survival. Aspen leads the winter resort pack in its green efforts: The resort was the first to purchase wind power and the first to offset 100 percent of its electricity.
Many organizations recognize the importance of fighting climate change and are energized and organized in their campaigns. Groups like Protect Our Winters and the Sustainable Slopes initiative by the National Ski Areas Association fight to reduce the effects of climate change on winter sports areas to ensure that they’re available for generations to come.
Individuals share an important part in the mission to save the slopes as well; the tips below will help you stay green on the slopes, whether you’re a skier or a boarder.
Green boards and skis. If you’re in need of new equipment, make an effort to shop for sustainable products, like bamboo snowboards and Paulownia (a sustainable type of wood) skis. Also keep an eye out for eco-conscious companies. Colorado’s Venture Snowboards runs its entire operation on wind power.
Green gear. Ski and board clothes, too, come from sustainable sources. Check out these companies that use organic cotton: Klattermusen and Mountain Equipment Co-op. If you are into fashion of the future, this solar-powered LED ski jacket could come in handy when it hits the market.
Green resorts. Make sure to do your research about the environmentally friendly practices of resorts on your list. As mentioned above, Aspen is doing great things in this arena, as are Smugglers’ Notch Family Resort in Vermont and Park City Mountain Resortin Utah. For a full list of the top seven green ski destinations in the United States, see here.
Green transportation. Look to greener methods of getting to the slopes. Carpooling will cut down on gas and emissions. Check public transportation in your destination of choice; many towns near winter ski resorts offer buses and shuttles to transport skiers and boarders to and fro. Even big cities that aren’t necessarily that close to the slopes have green options.Emilio’s in New York City runs shuttle services straight to nearby slopes. Look for these options in your hometown or try suggesting/initiating them yourself.
Our current climate problems relentlessly assault the world’s winter sports areas, creating less than ideal conditions. It is important that individuals, organizations, and resorts alike all take steps to combat climate change and protect the beauty of the winter season. For an inside look from an industry point of view, check out this short film by Teton Gravity Research about how skiers and snowboarders perceive climate change and what they plan to do about it.
And remember, nobody likes a slippery slope, so keep these tips in mind as you plan your next ski or board trip and do your part to save the slopes.
This is a Center for American Progress repost.
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“Large ski and snowboard resorts use large amounts of energy and release high levels of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere in order to keep their resorts running smoothly,”
Has anyone got info on what the typical footprint are for for skiing?
I used to think chairlifts and grooming machines – the most distinctive parts of the modern ski resort – consumed a great deal of energy.
But in actual fact this is entirely wrong. In a typical resort, c.75% of the carbon footprint comes from tourist transport; another c.20% from tourist accommodation. Lifts and pistes only account for c.2%.
So the sport itself is clearly sustainable. It is the transport and housing infrastructure that has to be upgraded. For instance: a high-speed train line through the Rockies, from California to the East Coast; and ski resort accommodation built with insulation technologies to “Passivhaus” standards.
A further top tip to green skiing and snowboarding is to avoid summer glacier skiing. There are several in Europe that open during the summer months, such as the Grande Motte above Tignes and the Glacier de Mantel at Les Deux Alpes. Glaciers are particularly vulnerable during the warm summer months when snow-fall is at a minimum. Piste grooming just churns up and exposes the old dirty snow, which results in greater mass loss due to its lower albedo compared to pristine fresh snow-cover.
I’m a keen snowboarder myself and would love to see these beautiful glaciers survive for future generations to enjoy during the Winter months.
I recently made a decision to buy a season pass in part on the green initiatives made by the area. Berkshire East, in northwestern Massachusetts, can boast a near carbon neutral operation. In addition to tackling the low lying fruit (light bulbs, etc.) they have taken some major steps to reduce their carbon footprint. First, they heat all the facilities with sustainably managed wood harvested from their property. But most significantly they just started operating their 56,900 kWh wind turbine. They claim it will meet over 100% of their operating load. The turbine was spinning yesterday, and I rode a wind-powered chairlift for the first time. As far as I know they do not run their groomers on biodiesel, so that is the only major emissions source they have yet to tackle.
Will montane pursuits not become more dangerous as glaciers retreat and the climate warms? I have read that landslides, avalanches and general deterioration will probably increase rapidly in coming years. Might it not be safer to sit at the mountains feet and admire their beauty from afar?
The Quebec, BC and Pacific Northwest resorts run on hydro power, and aside from transportation are therefore pretty carbon neutral. In fact the electric utilities in BC and Quebec burn zero coal. Likewise for most Alpine resorts in France and Switzerland, which are also served by electric-driven rail lines. If you didn’t have to fly to get there, you could in theory ride the train and have a zero-carbon vacation.