Water Skiing
Posted on 11/17/2007 11:52:08 AM PST by Trteamer
One day, Aspen could be known for its golf courses, not its skiing. At least, that's one of the scenarios floated by Aspen officials studying global warming and how it could one day affect the lush Colorado city.
"A lot of our economy is based on tourism and skiing," said Kim Peterson, global warming project manager for the city of Aspen. "So we've talked about what we do as a community. Do we put golf courses up?"
"A lot of our economy is based on tourism and skiing," said Kim Peterson, global warming project manager for the city of Aspen. "So we've talked about what we do as a community. Do we put golf courses up?"
As ski resorts across the state open for the season, officials are wondering how many more years they'll be able to open by Thanksgiving. A report by the Canary Initiative on how global warming could affect Aspen presents several scenarios, including a gloomy forecast if things continue the way they are now. But the report also acknowledges that even if all emissions were eliminated today, change still would occur.
The most immediate change might be that resorts will have shortened seasons because temperatures won't support snowmaking or keep the snow on the ground if it is made, Peterson said.
Seasons, in other words, will start later and end sooner than resorts would like, and that's already happening.
"We've seen results over time that the snow is starting late, and there's less cold days, and that's what is key for making snow," she said.
By the end of the century, if nothing changes, the report states, skiing will be in jeopardy, and Colorado will lose perhaps its biggest tourism draw.
Paul Goodloe, a meteorologist with The Weather Channel, recently gave a talk to mountain tourism officials and told them that global warming was just something they will have to face regardless of what happens.
In a phone interview, Goodloe said global warming will cause more extremes, not just higher temperatures.
But even then, Summit County has experienced more 80-degree days in the summer than during the 1970s, when 80-degree days were almost unheard of, he said.
The big snows, the kind that inspire people to call in sick, might come in April instead of December, Goodloe said.
Resorts may still get their seasonal averages, but all of that snow could fall in the spring or over a weekend, leaving the rest of the winter months, and the dollars that the Christmas season brings, high and dry.
"You're going to have more variability as to when the snow falls, so it's a roll of the dice," Goodloe said.
Goodloe, an avid snowboarder and skier, already has experienced both extremes, when he enjoyed a week of powder paradise last year and a week in Steamboat in January when only four inches of snow fell the entire week but it was so cold the snot in his nose froze.
"I'd heard the term frozen boogers before, but I'd never experienced that," he said and laughed. "It was really strange."
There's already talk about 2010 and the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Goodloe said. Whistler a couple years ago faced rainstorms, not snow, forcing the resort to close for a few days, and some officials are wringing their hands over just how much snow will fall in 2010.
Ski resorts acknowledge that global warming is occurring, but many of them aren't really talking about what do to about it. That's partly because the major effects may still be down the road, and that may be because the elevations of Colorado ski resorts may help shield them from the debilitating damage that lower ski resorts across the country may face.
"If the world continues to warm up, we're at an advantage because of our elevations," said Nick Bohnenkamp, communications coordinator for Colorado Ski Country USA.
Reservations are up over last year and Colorado has always seen fairly consistent snow, Bohnenkamp said.
But even with those sunny thoughts, ski resorts still aren't talking about what they should do once it's here, said Jen Schenk, environmental manager for Copper Mountain Resorts.
"We need to sit down with our leadership team and talk about strategies," Schenk said. "But we haven't done that yet. I think we need to do that very soon."
Schenk also said ski resorts aren't thinking of just themselves. The world is in trouble, she said, and thinking about how many ski days may be eliminated seems a little petty.
Ski resorts are battling it, however, by buying wind power credits to offset their energy use, using biodiesel fuels to run lifts and working on ways to save energy in employee housing. They're also throwing their considerable economic power behind state measures to help solve the problem, including Gov. Bill Ritter's first Climate Action Plan to reduce greenhouse gases, a plan he introduced last week.
Aspen hopes to set an example even if officials there know they can't do much by themselves about global warming. After all, the future doesn't look too bright.
"Even golf is a water-intensive sport," Peterson said, "and as we continue to dry up, they'll be able to irrigate less and less. If the golf courses are still brown and crunchy, will people still come here?"
Oh, geez. A JOB TITLE, now?
Aspen = Hollywood of The Rockies
Yeah, do that asshat. Excellent plan. Money well spent. Visionary foresight. You'll be a hero.
Ping!
I would had given that title to the vastly overrated Vail...
Why not advertise as future beach front property. Global Warming alarmists need to be locked up in rubber rooms, IMHO.
It’s time to close all roads and airports to Aspen. Require all skiers and visitors to hike in. That will prevent all the global warming caused by all the fuel used getting visitors in and out of Aspen. If they don’t do this immediately Aspen is doomed.
As some of the locals say:
Aspen, where the billionaires have run the millionaires out of town.
Resorts panicked last year in the Alps when it didn’t snow in early winter and late fall. They of course blamed global warming. This year there is supposed to be tons of snow. Already it is snowing and ski areas are opening.
“...and there’s less cold days, and that’s what is key for making snow,” she said.”
LOL. Ya think.
At first I thought this might be Scrappleface. Nope. True story. Sheesh.
To paraphrase Glenn Reynolds: "when those talking about the dangers of Global Warming start acting like there is a danger, I'll start worrying"
Vail heats the roadways to prevent ice and snow buildup. I wonder how they reconcile that?
Unless someone has a crystal ball, can manufacture weather at will; or they are predicting that changes in countries all over the world such as China will affect us; I wouldn’t worry too much.
Hey, I know a lot of golfers that will play in the snow. LOL
I am sure the scam will go on as long as it can because it’s making a selected few a lot of money and give worthless jobs to some so the selected few can say they are credible atleast in appearance.
Water Skiing
If you had to pick a crowd to carbon tax....the Aspen crowd would be perfect. Entry carbon fee into town: $100 per car. Hotel carbon fee per night: $35. Regular coffee carbon fee per cup: $1. Expresso coffee carbon fee: $4 per cup. Toilet paper carbon fee: $1 per square. Heat per hour in room carbon fee: $8. Donut carbon fee: $1 per donut. Private jet at airport carbon landing fee: $2,000. Al Gore visit carbon fee: $44,000.
Oh for cryin' out loud.
(Whatever that means ... It just seems appropriate here for some reason)
Somebody has quite a sense of humor.
Oh good grief, they are about to get some of the lowest temperatures in recent history.
Who is going to help these poor industries, when they get too cold?
[Kim Peterson, global warming project manager for the city of Aspen.]
If they can afford a “Global Warming Project Manager” they’re not hurting for money yet.
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