Jump to content

Recommended Posts

what's wrong with making money off a sport that everyone loves? Not all of us can afford helicopters to get to the peak so I have to thank the resorts for puttin up lifts, jibs, and jumps.

 

I sold my soul to the devil for a lift pass...let the jibbing begin!

 

-SJA

Link to post
Share on other sites

> what's wrong with making money off a sport that everyone loves?

 

By our society's standards, nothing at all. You raise an interesting observation. One cant make money off something that doesn't exist. 'The industry' can express no complaint nor feel sorry for itself when the key input resource runs low. Jobs will be lost, hotels, restaurants, bars, pensions, small towns, the local economy... all will suffer, not happy days for those that lose, but such is the flip-side reality of business. All is fair in cash and capitalism, especially when making money off a sport that everyone loves.

 

Snow will still fall and mountains will still be imposing and alluring. Nothing will change at the core. So what if resorts go bust.

 

My main point -

 

Mountains, snow, nature: great stuff.

 

Resorts that try to beat nature to make money: cancer.

 

 

There are so many mountains that go un-ridden every day. I have no fear for my snow sliding future, in fact there are so many peaks to ride its overwhelming and one life time is too short. I get fidgity just thinking about it.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Read a review by a meteorologist looking at snowfall statistics in the french alps over the past couple of hundred years! Did not know they had that much data. Anyway, it goes like this:

 

Between 1977-1988 was an exceptional period for snowfalls ( \:D thanks, I enjoyed that). Below average temps & higher humidity. People got used to it and assumed it was normal conditions.

 

Between 1855-1875, the alps had between 1/2 & 1/4 of the regular snowfalls. 20 years running !!!

 

After 2nd world war, snowfalls were so low that there was barely any melting snow in the rivers.

 

I do not think global warming was the cause in the late 1800s. Not saying it is not potentially the cause now, I just do not know.

 

Anyway, interesting stats to ponder.

Link to post
Share on other sites
 Quote:
Originally posted by SerreChe:
I do not think global warming was the cause in the late 1800s. Not saying it is not potentially the cause now, I just do not know.]
I doubt any of us do.
I can speak with real authority about your Air Conditioning system, but global warming....I'll listen to the experts.
Link to post
Share on other sites
 Quote:
Originally posted by SerreChe:
Read a review by a meteorologist looking at snowfall statistics in the french alps over the past couple of hundred years! Did not know they had that much data. Anyway, it goes like this:

Between 1977-1988 was an exceptional period for snowfalls ( \:D thanks, I enjoyed that). Below average temps & higher humidity. People got used to it and assumed it was normal conditions.

Between 1855-1875, the alps had between 1/2 & 1/4 of the regular snowfalls. 20 years running !!!

After 2nd world war, snowfalls were so low that there was barely any melting snow in the rivers.

I do not think global warming was the cause in the late 1800s. Not saying it is not potentially the cause now, I just do not know.

Anyway, interesting stats to ponder.
Really interesting information, you are giving here. Thanks a lot.
Link to post
Share on other sites

Spud, I'm no expert at the kid game, but I think being overprotective may not be he best approach. I think you've just got to create a good environment and lead by example. Kids can be conditioned to eat healthily and enjoy it. My daughter loves natto, fruit and veges. She could just as easily be loving eating processed rubbish food and high suger content beakfast cereals. I'd rather she start the day with fruit, toast and plain yogurt. There are no fast food chains in my neighbourhood, which is a pure stroke of luck.

 

The whole way this world is geared up for transportation is a problem-the car is king and everything is designed to have us all driving round in one. At least in most places. I'm kind of lucky in that I really don't need to have one. Don't get me wrong, I do love driving and the convenience, but the car and convenience culture is the root of a lot of problems.

 

Not sure if lifts in Japan are major churners of fossil fuels-could be that they're nuclear powered.

 

As far as resorts being environmentally sound goes, the ideal would be minimal impact. A sustainably powered lift right to the top of the mtn(stops along the way maybe)-low carbon biomass fueled or something. No grooming, just professional avie control. Intelligent design of courses to suit different levels of ability, but learnig to deal with powder would be a prerequisate of riding.

 

Incentives and infrastructure set up to discourage people from going there in private vehicles. In short, madness. It'll never happen unfortunately. This is a world where even people who're concerned about their carbon footprints fly way for ski/snowboard weekends. Not because they feel good about doing so, but just because we're conditioned into thinking of this as normal.

Link to post
Share on other sites
 Quote:
Originally posted by Davo:

Incentives and infrastructure set up to discourage people from going there in private vehicles. In short, madness. It'll never happen unfortunately. This is a world where even people who're concerned about their carbon footprints fly way for ski/snowboard weekends. Not because they feel good about doing so, but just because we're conditioned into thinking of this as normal.
It'll never happen with an attitude like that, that's for sure. 'It's somebody else's fault. There's nothing I can do it about it alone. So I'll just go on doing what I do.'

How about if you stopped going for a while and waited for the resorts to wonder why and start asking you about what you want?
Link to post
Share on other sites

You're right. It'll never happen because it depends on the actions of consumers, and in this I don't see any major sea change anytime soon. I'm still trying to work out how to change my impact on things.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Fun these days is basically evil.

 

I took about 50 flights last year, so I don't point the carbon finger. Actually, I am at the airport now.

 

I just giggle at all the concern about resorts hitting hard times. I don't think that large resorts are necessary to enjoy mountains. But it would appear that air flights are.

Link to post
Share on other sites
 Quote:
There aren't that many choices, so it shouldn't be a tough decision if it really bothers you.
Well, in terms of using resorts or not that's clearly true. I could but I won't. Perhaps it's disingenious of me to say that that my 7 days or so riding a year make little difference. Also, if the lifts are running it's better that they're running for a reason right?

Resort use aside, there are unlimited options to try and make a difference regarding energy use and environmental impact. That's what I'm talking about in terms of impact.
Link to post
Share on other sites
×
×
  • Create New...