green ski resorts

Picked up a copy of the February 2007 Men's Journal last night (it was easy to convince my wife to read it, with Matthew Fox on the cover)... anyway. Caught an interesting note in the "What's New" section on the Greenest Ski Resorts in USA & Canada. Sadly, my base lodge (Tenney Mountain) didn't make the magazine, but it's not even open this year, so that's not a surprise.

It's refreshing to see that the resorts are taking steps to conserve the environment and their livelihood. 22 out of 450+ resorts in North America offset their power with renewable energy credits. The article states that only 1 resort did the same in 2005. Let's hope that the number grows exponentially over the next few years.

Also of note in the article was the fact that most resorts do more damage to the environment than good. Only two have earned the gold standard (ISO 14001) for environmental management: Aspen and Jackson Hole. The eight other resorts mentioned in MJ are all working towards this globally recognized certification. Those resorts are: Sundance, Smuggler's Notch, Vail, Mammoth Mountain, Whistler, Moonlight Basin, Alta, and Jiminy Peak.

While some of their practices are very similar, each of them has taken unique steps that make their efforts seem so different. Several are harnessing wind power, either through their own turbines or buying wind power credits. Others have utilized geothermal power, building design regulations, upgraded machinery, and increased recycling efforts. Some of these efforts were initiated quietly over a decade ago.

The challenges moving forward in all environmental efforts is getting the people to sign off. If you ski or snowboard, remember that it can't last forever without some help. While many this season have had more than enough snow, others have had to go through the winter dealing with global warming causing no snow.

Ask your resort today what it is doing for tomorrow.