As winter approaches, the popularity of skiing has begun to increase. Unfortunately, for many fans of the sport, skiing has and continues to be negatively affected by the global issue of climate change.
There is research proving that global warming is negatively affecting the sport. In a study done by Robert Steiger, three ski resorts in Tyrol, Austria, were simulated to continue to undergo climate change until they could no longer be snow reliable. With snowmaking technology in consideration, all three of these locations were predicted to no longer be snow reliable until years between 2040 and the 2050s.
Clearly, climate change affects skiing, since snow patterns change and the snow itself becomes dangerous to ski on. Additionally, since the 1980s, the amount of skiing days around the globe has been reduced by about 34 days in total, along with the average snow levels being reduced by 41%.
Although this study was done on specific areas, it is likely that the results will apply to most ski resorts around the world. This is incredibly unfortunate, as skiing is a beloved sport, both competitively and recreationally, for many. FHS senior Elsa Pitsch is an avid skier and fears the changes to the sport that are to come.
“I can see how the sport is changing in different areas of the globe,” Pitsch said. “There’s definitely significant effects in both professional and just recreational skiing.”
She is currently on the Kirkwood Ski team, a competitive ski team in South Lake Tahoe. In the past few years, Pitsch has noticed an acceleration in the effect of climate change on skiing. The previous ski season was especially bad.
“Last year, I saw a lot of the effects of the changing climate because there was more severe weather,” Pitsch said. “Because there were certain times that got snowed in, that affected my ability to actually go to school because I was snowed in for a whole week.”
Because of climate change, the sport of skiing is at risk of being wiped from the face of the earth. The only way to slow or stop the end of skiing is to reduce carbon emissions and stop climate change.
