29 Mar 08:00 AM
A recent scientific study from a US-based research group shows that, due to climate change, ski resorts will have to increasingly rely on artificial snow to keep their slopes open. Higher average temperatures are leading towards more days of rain instead of snow, making the ski season shorter. Even in the most optimistic scenarios, snowmaking efforts would have to almost double by 2050. Consequently, higher operating expenses for equipment, labour, energy, and water will lead to costs being passed down to consumers. Also, smaller resorts will be forced to shut down, further lowering the competition that keeps prices in check.
The accessibility of skiing has geographic, financial, and cultural barriers. Taking all three dimensions into account, skiing is already widely inaccessible and lacks diversity. With climate change it seems this problem will become even more entrenched. Still, while proactively seeking solutions to enhance the inclusiveness of skiing remains important, so do ecological considerations of reducing energy and water usage. The lesson is that trade-offs between accessibility and sustainability related to the mitigation of climate change are inevitable in certain sports, as they are in other domains such as flying.
You can read the full article here.
Join the discussion on social media using #BraveNewSport
