16 January, 2007 |

The Alps are loosing skiers

Because of the warm winter skiing is under the threat.
The European mounting skiing resorts are threatened with the fast disappearance because of the global warming. This year the abnormally warm winter has already made the majority of resorts open much later than usually, and the permits have a little risen in price, as it was necessary to compensate the lack of the natural snow by expensive artificial snow.
According to the first scale research of a climate in the Alpine region, lead by the European Organization of economic cooperation and development, the Alps are especially sensitive to climatic changes. So, the warming here three times surpasses the average temperature rise on the planet. Now, according to the research, about 10 % of mounting skiing resorts of the Alpine region is in «the unreliable climatic zone». It means that the temperature in these areas is above the traditional level. Approximately 600 resorts have stable climatic parameters. However, this number will be considerably reduced even in case of the slightest temperature fluctuations.
According to the experts, the increase of the average temperature on one degree on Celsius will lead to the reduction of number of safe mountain-skiing slopes from 600 up to 500, and - up to 400, if the column of the thermometer will rise on two degrees. If the temperature rises for four degrees, there will be only 200 Alpine slopes available for skiing.
Germany is the most vulnerable to the temperature fluctuations; its mounting skiing resorts are located below the others. In case of warming on one degree, 60 % of the Alpine slopes in the country «will be deduced out of use». Hardly this process will occur in Switzerland, whose skiing resorts are considerably above the others.

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