How Green Is Your Mountain
The bright sun, the cold crisp air, the thrill of schussing down a snow-packed mountain surrounded by powder and pine. On the surface, there would seem to be few better ways to celebrate Nordic nature than with a ski vacation--until you consider the wildlife displaced by the trails, the ecosystems destroyed by artificial snow and the energy-hungry lifts, snow machines and hotels that are an integral part of a skiing holiday. Not to mention the miles in the SUV to get everyone there. Ski resorts by their very nature have a pretty big carbon footprint. They are also an industry that takes a direct hit from global warming. According to the Swiss Federal Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research, based in Davos, rising temperatures are leading to changes in snowfall patterns: Alpine areas below 1,600 m (5,250 ft.) now receive 20% less snow than in previous decades. On the slopes in the U.S. and Europe, the season is shorter, and in Scotland there has been so little snow that ski resorts are being turned into mountain-biking courses. In an unfortunate cycle, warmer winters mean less snow, and less real snow means that more artificial snow is made, which uses enormous amounts of energy and in turn exacerbates climate change. It's no wonder that ski resorts are implementing eco-friendly practices ranging from wind-powered lifts to green building initiatives.
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Last summer Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort in Hancock, Mass., became the first ski area to install its own wind turbine; nearly half the resort's energy needs are provided by the 1.5-MW tower. Producing its own energy also allows the resort to shield guests from higher room rates caused by rising electricity prices. At Vermont's Killington Resorts, the diesel-powered snowmaking compressors are being replaced with low-emission machines, which should reduce emissions 50% next year. Buck Hill Ski Area in Burnsville, Minn., buys enough wind power to run 85% of its operations. And Mammoth Mountain in California's Sierra Nevada has cut propane use by 70,000 gal. (26,000 L) per year since 2000. "Our resorts are all about people wanting to be outside," says Rob Katz, CEO of Vail Resorts, where 100% of power is offset by wind credits. "We are using this spectacular place, so it's our responsibility to take care of it."
Vail Resorts is involved with local forest-conservation projects and is planning an entire eco-sensitive neighborhood development called Ever Vail. At 9.5 acres (4 hectares), it will be the largest resort in the U.S. certified by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and will join other LEED-approved resorts like the Hotel Terra Jackson Hole, which opened on Jan. 29 in Wyoming. Positioned on the mountain to make the best use of natural light and save electricity, the Terra also uses 34% less water than traditional resorts and has begun a pilot program for disposing food waste, which is important in a mountain climate in which food scraps can take as long as two years to decompose. "Our guests are interested in being green as long as they are comfortable," says Bob Trotter, general manager of the Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa, which will open in Avon, Colo., this spring. "And it's possible to do both. Our riverfront park is a beautiful amenity, but it's also designed to preserve the natural wetlands habitat. Good design benefits us all." In modest ways, skiing green can benefit the planet too. An Eco-Friendly Course Barriers and Solutions [This article contains a table. Please see hardcopy of magazine.]
THE TARGET THE PROBLEM THE GREEN APPROACH Energy production Ski lifts and snowmakers use massive amounts of electricity and diesel fuel Aspen Skiing Co. offsets 100% of its energy with wind power and makes snow with a speck of dust to lessen the water and energy used Transportation All those SUVs traveling back and forth to the slopes consume a lot of gas In Colorado, Copper Mountain uses energy-efficient buses, and the gondolas at Winter Park Resort serve as public transportation Building materials Nonlocal or nonrecycled materials increase pollution byusing more fossil fuels Roof tiles made from recycled tires are being used at the Westin Riverfront; 80% of the steel used in the Hotel Terra is recycled
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