tagged w/ SACC
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While snowy slopes are fun for skiers and snowboarders, what are the environmental costs of this winter sport?
60 million vacationers will head for the hills this year and resorts are being forced to expand drastically. This means more trees chopped to clear trails, more wildlife displaced, and more energy needed to run the lifts and lodges.
So is there anything to stop this?
Recently, the Ski Area Citizens Coalition (SACC) called foul an effort where resorts were required to assess their own eco-friendliness. The problem with this self-evaluation, they said, is the absence of accountability.
The coalition fired back with their own environmental scorecards based on water usage, energy and waste management, and forest, air, and wildlife preservation.
By giving consumers the ability to choose destinations with higher scores, inadequately scored resorts are forced to steepen their efforts.
For more on skiing green, check out some of the following links.
How green are your vallées? (Guardian UK)
Ski resorts environmental impact (Suite 101)
How to become a greener skier (ResponsibleTravel.com)
How green is your mountain? (Time)
Is greener whiter yet? The Sustainable Slopes Program after five years (SACC)
Photo by Mount Ararat Trek.While snowy slopes are fun for skiers and snowboarders, what are the environmental... more
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