Global warming 'could close half of Alpine ski resorts by 2050'

[G_j]

Global warming 'could close half of Alpine ski resorts by 2050'

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/12/03/walps03.xml&sSheet=/news/2003/12/03/ixworld.html

More than half of all ski resorts in the Alps could be forced out of business in the next 50 years by rising temperatures, according to research published yesterday.

Low-lying slopes such as Kitzbuhel in Austria and Oberstdorf in Germany may receive so little snow over the next 30 to 50 years that skiing, snowboarding and toboganning cease to be viable winter industries. The warning comes in a study by the University of Zurich for the United Nations Environment Programme.

Its predictions are based on scientific estimates that temperatures will increase by between 1.4C (2.5F) and 5.8C (10.4F) during this century.
...more..

[Cronus Protagonist]

1. Cool!

Pretty soon I'll be able to afford a mountaintop oceanside mansion...

</sarcasm>

LICK BUSH Buttons, Stickers & Magnets

[el_gato]

2. I don't think people will have the luxury to go skiing in 50 years anyway

[Minstrel Boy]

4. perversely optomistic

In 50 years, the fate of the Alpine snows will be the least of our worries.

It won't be "Where's all the powder?" It'll be "Where's all the oil?" "Where's all the natural gas?" "Where's all the freshwater?"

[G_j]

7. exactly, and especially WATER

and I wonder how much of that Bechtel will own by then.

[maxanne]

3. but - there's no such thing

as global warming! :puke:

I live in a tourist area that relies heavily on the ski industry. Maybe this will begin to make people sit up and take notice. The climate changes are already apparent here, if one is paying attention. Our summers are hotter, and our winters are drier - we get much less snow than we used to.

[FlaGranny]

5. Wouldn't it be funny if

some of the ridiculously wealthy people with homes in Aspen got so upset about losing their favorite recreation that they actually got together to try to prevent global warming? After all, skiing is important - much more so than raising crops, right?

Unfortunately, if global warming does reach that point, it will be too late.

Oh, and I forgot the most important group - the snowmobilers!!! They wouldn't be able to tear through the national parks in the winter any more with their noisy machines.

[G_j]

6. I've had similar thoughts

certainly not a recreation of the poor.

[Superfly]

8. Eh...so what?

Skiing in Europe today, you pretty much have to strap on Kevlar for the jostling, a gas mask for the idiots who smoke in line...in 50 years, it's going to be a nightmare anyways.