It Was In The News
With all this talk about global warming, I have to ask myself, do I want to go snowboarding? Ski resorts supply many small towns and big cities with tourism. This helps benefit the economy and recreational opportunities for those who live in and around the supplying communities. However, the resorts are based on the idea of having snow, a thing that is becoming more rare as temperatures rise.
This article was actually about a guy going to a resort in west Austria and the obvious effects of global warming on a city usually claimed by harsh winters.
So what are these resorts going to do if there is no snow? First of all, fake snow, but secondly build higher. Although the bottom of mountains are turning green, the tops around the peaks are still white and skier friendly. The problem then becomes an issue of natural resources. As the green bottom rises higher, the white top will eventually become overpowered and lost. Eventually, the industry will have to choose between branching into the surfer game, or spending mega bucks to build indoor ski resorts. Obviously the indoor choice won't work since half the fun of skiing is going down hill, but it could be an option... not really. In reality, the financial burden lays on snow making and grooming technology. The technology uses products to simulate snow environments when it is not naturally provided, but even fake snow requires low temperatures. The task then becomes making snow that can handle higher temperatures. As salt is a common product to lower freezing point, perhaps failing in snow will be more like surfing than you thought.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080307.IBREGULY07/TPStory/Business
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