Artificial snow harms Alpine water system

[highpeaksdrifter]

:-?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070418/sc_nm/alps_dc

 

[Greg]

Ludicrous article from the "sky is falling" crowd. So European snowmaking will have an "enormous impact on the Mediterranean Sea"? Silly. I see no statistical data in that article whatsoever.... :roll:

 

[thetrailboss]

De Jong recognized the economic role winter sports played for the region, but said snow sport enthusiasts and the tourism industry needed to come up with alternatives, like snow-shoe hiking.

The hiking season is already too long :roll: And if you need to make snow for skiing 'cause it ain't falling, how are you going to snowshoe? Hole in their logic there...

And besides then they will say that snowshoeing and hiking "is more damaging."

 

[millerm277]

Okay, so now the water may come down at a different time...it should make now difference. If anything, those rivers should have more water running through them in the Spring/Summer from the increased snow melting off.

 

[SIKSKIER]

What a joke.I can understand having limits on drawdown of water sources just like we do in many areas in the States but this is typical of the the whole environmental movement going too far.I'n sure Al Gore will be chiming in about our ski resorts soon.

 

[MadPadraic]

Well, if it's true that some communities are going to ground water for the first time--and that this isn't just due to ever expanding villages--then they may have a point. For me, the real problem with snowmaking is the massive amount of energy required and the associated heat waste. Yet another reason I'd take a natural spring corn day over a man made hardpack december day (as discussed in a different thread).

 

[riverc0il]

Ludicrous article from the "sky is falling" crowd. So European snowmaking will have an "enormous impact on the Mediterranean Sea"? Silly. I see no statistical data in that article whatsoever.... :roll:

Effects were already visible in some areas, like in parts of French skiing region Les Trois Vallees where water levels of some mountain rivers had dropped by 70 percent, she said.

There is a statistic in there But regardless, it is well known that the glaciers of the Alps, which are relied upon for drinking water due to run off, are rapidly shrinking. Seems plausible that there could be issues. The article does point out that some villages that previous got their drinking water from mountain streams are now using well water. Seems worth while to consider the effects of snow making if it risks effecting people's drinking water. We certainly have rules in place in New England to this effect, of not depleting water resources and limiting mountain's use of public water ways.

The argument that all the water will eventually run off any way is not applicable because it all runs off during a few short weeks instead of over the course of several months.

However, as per usual with the current news media, especially online news media, this article is no more than a sound bite and does warrant deeper investigation, more statistical research, and both sides of the coin. I would not dismiss the point of the article out of hand due to poor journalism though.