The Affect of Climate Change on Winter Recreation

Presentation by Sydnie LeMieux

What’s ahead…

• 1. What is Global Warming and what drives it?

• 2.What sorts of winter recreation activities are threatened by these changes?

• 3. How do we manage these changes?

Climate Change: The Planet IS

Warming!

http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2010/20100728_stateoftheclimate.html

HOW IS THE PLANET WARMING ?

Natural: Photosynthesis

and Respiration

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Anthropogenic (human-induced)

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Affects from Global Warming…

Rise in Ocean Acidity

USGCRP (2009). Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States

Acid levels = dissolution of CaCO3

Sea Ice is Melting Rapidly

March (Current

Conditions)

September (Current

Conditions)

March (End of

21st Century)

September (End of 21st

Century)

NRC (2011). Climate Stabilization Targets: Emissions, Concentrations, and Impacts over Decades to Millennia .

Rise in Sea Level

!!!!!!!

NRC (2010). Advancing the Science of Climate Change .

Precipitation Changes Globally

End of 21st Century Precipitation Projections

Blue and green areas are projected to experience

increases in precipitation by the end of the century, while

yellow and pink areas are projected to experience

decreases.

Regions that are blue or green will likely be at lower risk of drought, while those in the red and purple spectrum could face more unusually extreme drought conditions.

Drought Conditions on a Global Scale

Snowpack Decline Less albedo = accelerates

warming

What does this mean?

- Shorter duration of winter season

- Expulsion of winter season sports in some areas

- Fewer variety of winter activities

- Less run off to replenish fresh lakes/rivers that provide drinking water, and other summer recreational activities

Winter Season Recreation Affects

• Downhill skiing

• Snowmobile industry

• Cross country skiing

• Ice skating

• Snow-shoeing

• Ice fishing

• Ice hockey …etc.

U.S. Ski Industry

• The ski industry, today is valued at around $66 billion. • About 15.5 million Americans hit the slopes or trails each

year, supporting close to 600,000 jobs. • In New Hampshire, an estimated 12 percent of jobs are

related to skiing. • The industry accounts for seven percent of the state’s

economy. • In Vermont, skiing generates $750 million in tax revenue

annually.

Many mountain areas rely on winter sports as the largest source of income for their economies.

http://www.earthgauge.net/wp-content/CF_Winter%20Recreation.pdf

Northeast Region of U.S.

• Snow and ice activities contribute $7.6 billion annually to the North-eastern economy.

• Ski season may decline to <100 days.

• Snowmaking to supplement natural snow???

• Snowmaking requires additional energy and water, bumping up the costs to the resorts.

Northeast Region

New Hampshire Ski Industry: Decline in tourists

• Resorts at lower elevations and in the southern parts of the state have gone out of business leaving the available resorts at more northern locations that more difficult to travel to.

• Today, almost all of these operations use chair lifts and manufacture snow.

• The additional capital required for chair lifts and snow manufacturing, coupled with the longer distances these resorts are from the regional population centers, have likely contributed to ski trips being relatively more expensive today than they were in the 1950s and 1960s.

Hamilton, et al. “Warming Winters and New Hampshire’s Lost Ski Areas: An Integrated Case Study.” International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy.” 23 (2003): 52-73.

New Hampshire

Volume 23 Number 10 2003 63

a capital divide that (for the most successful areas) widened enormously

over time.

Figure 5 graphs the number of downhill ski areas of each type,

chairlift or other, known to be operating in New Hampshire over the

years 1930–2001. Despite some missing records, our data are complete

enough to show overall trends. We see the proliferation of small area s

in the 1930s, then a wartime hiatus. (Several small areas that opened at

unknown dates during the 1930s are graphed at “1930,” so the starting

level of this curve is too high but it becomes more accurate by the

decade’s end.) A relatively cold, snowy climate did not “cause” the

proliferation of small areas in the 1930s and 40s, but rather, was among

the conditions that made this proliferation possible. The number of

small areas peaked in the early 1950s, and fluctuated not far below that

level for the next two decades. After 1970 the number of small areas

rapidly declined. Non-climatic factors including an interstate highway

that improved access to four large northern resorts, the 1973 energy

Figure 5: Number of known downhill ski areas operating in New

Hampshire, 1930–2002. Small areas that never possessed a chairlift or

gondola are shown separately (dashed line).

New Hampshire International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy 66

Figure 6: Geographical distribution of New Hampshire downhill ski areas

known to be operating in 1925, 1950, 1975 and 2000.

Avalanche Risks

“Between 1926 and 2004, average snowpack in northern New Hampshire/southern Maine

decreased by 16 percent. Over this same period, snow density increased by 11 percent due to

warmer temperatures and more rain falling on snow. When this occurs, layers of ice can form

between layers of snow, or a heavier layer of high water content snow can overlay a less dense layer, increasing the likelihood of avalanches and risk to

skiers”.

Earth Gauge: A National Environmental Education Foundation Program

How do we manage this?

• Track changes in snowpack and continue to conduct studies

• Create management plans that are local-specific

• Assess the energy / water costs

• Supply easily-accessible transportation to these areas

• Focus on advancing technology and machinery to become more efficient

• Create and implement new/more summer activities

Some Examples of Groups and Organizations Getting Involved…

“Anyone who spends time on a ski slope or in the back country can see how this crisis is

changing weather patterns and ecology, with major impacts on the outdoor activities we enjoy with our friends and families. Climate

change is a reality that is here, today.” – Al Gore, Chair of the Climate Reality Project

I AM FOR SNOW

• Warren Miller Entertainment has announced a partnership with The Climate Reality Project, that seeks to uncover the complete truth about the climate crisis.

• Flow State, the latest instalment from Warren Miller Entertainment, chronicles the travels of the world’s premiere adventure skiers to areas impacted by climate change.

“We all can drive less, have more fun, and help save the planet.” - Ricardo Balazs, sports

marketing experience manager for Clif Bar & Company

Aspen Ski Resort

Conclusion

• Global Warming is REAL and INTENSE

• A warming planet decreases snowpack immensely

• Many winter recreational activities are negatively impacted by decrease in snow

• Studies from New Hampshire have shown an already huge decrease in ski resort operations

• It is time for us to take action, join a group, contribute to working towards finding a solution, become informed so that we can inform others!

• Good news: People ARE doing something about climate change!

Questions?