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obtained from reservoirs on the slopes or pumped up from the
valley.The use of snowcannons can lead to increasingwater stress
and the use of groundwater resources. The practice has been
criticised by environmental groups – the use of snow cannons in
Switzerland is estimated to use as much water as the city of Basel
during one season (SRF/Swissinfo, 2015).
• Expanding or developing ski resorts at higher altitudes:
another way of adapting to decreasing levels of snow is to
move or expand ski resorts to higher terrain including onto
glaciers, which can further disturb fragile ecosystems (Rixen
and Rolando, 2013).
Many ski resorts have made efforts to reduce waste and make
their operations more environmentally friendly. The Sustainable
Slopes Program, for example, is a voluntary environmental
initiative in North America which encourages ski resorts to
reduce, re-use and recycle waste as well as tackle potentially
hazardous waste (NSAA, 2005). TheWhistler Blackcomb ski resort
in Canada is striving for zero-waste through an approach which
combines responsible purchasing, re-use and recycling.
Organising and building venues and related infrastructure for
major winter sporting events, such as the winter Olympics, also
may carry waste implications, especially where there is little existing
infrastructure and the timeframe for completion is short. Sochi’s
candidature to host the 2014 Winter Olympic Games contained
a “Zero Waste System” which included the process of converting
waste into energy andbuilding supplies. Despite this promise, illegal
dumping and especially construction waste dumping took place
prior to and after the games on a significant scale (Sobol, 2015).
Skiing in Patagonia, Argentina.
Photo
©
iStock/Eric Schroeder
Gudauri ski resort, Georgia, South
Caucasus.
Photo
©
Björn Alfthan