Some years ago, United Nations officials presented before the International Olympic Committee some findings about warming and snow..no doubt this is affecting how the IOC chooses host cities for Winter Games.
Years later, some researchers based in Geneve concluded that in around 50 years (maybe earlier), global warming will push regular snowfall altitude in Pyrenees from current 1500 metres to 1800-2000 metres….
Mr. Octavio Salanova, Director of Astun ski resort believes that more artificial snow will help to solve the problem. He explains that in the US and some countries in Europe 80% of the “paths” are equipped with equipment to produce artificial snow. Here is only 12%.
Well, I am not an expert, but I think that more artificial snow means -in addition to more Co2 emissions, unless we run the artificial snow fans with renewables, field in which Aragon is doing a lot...but this is a topic for another post...on Expo Zaragoza 2008 green credentials- more running costs for the ski resorts and thus, more expensive skiing…upps… not worries. Now the good news. First, Aragon is lucky enough to have in its territory the Central Pyrenees, which means to have the highest summits and thus, the highest ski resorts of the whole Pyrenees mountains.
Second, even more important, Aragon has the historic opportunity to use the Expo Zaragoza 2008 to have a serious debate on whether a business model based on ever increasing altitudes for reliable skiing conditions is sustainable. If the answer is NO, then, time is now to “imagine” alternative/additional business models…
Pd. Till Expo comes, if you wanna go and see with your own eyes what´s out there in terms of skiing...yes, i know we are in summer...and how to get there, just follow this link ...there are summer activities too ;)
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