Climate change on the straight line
Climate warming in the Alpine region, as in Europe as a whole, is happening faster than the global average - more or less on the straight line, to stick with freeride jargon. Since the middle of the 19th century, the temperature here has already risen by more than 2 degrees Celsius, while globally it has only risen by about half as much. Why is that?
This is mainly due to the fact that land masses heat up faster than oceans and partly also because snow cover tends to be shorter. Light-coloured surfaces, such as a snow-covered glacier, reflect a large proportion of solar radiation, while dark surfaces, such as rocks, absorb heat. This reflectivity is known as albedo.
Less snow, more rain
"The decrease in the proportion of snow in total precipitation is clearly measurable and is hitting Austria particularly hard as a winter sports country," states GeoSphere Austria on its website. Especially below around 2000 metres, H2O is less and less likely to reach the ground in its frozen form as a fluffy, hexagonal crystal, but rather as a plump drop of water.
With cannons against the lack of snow
Over 70 percent of Austrian slopes are covered with snow, and the trend is rising. Snowmaking is associated with high costs and high water and energy consumption. One hectare of piste requires 20,000 kWh of electricity (that's the annual consumption of a five-person household) and up to 3,000 cubic metres of water. In total, as much water is used for snowmaking as the city of Munich needs in a year. The cost of snow production is rising - and with it the price of ski tickets. (Source: marmotamaps.com)
Fewer glaciers, more construction sites
Not only lower-lying ski resorts, but also high-lying glacier ski resorts are struggling. The terrain is changing dramatically as a result of glacier retreat. Where just a few years ago there were flat glacier areas, today there are steep rock faces - these areas can only be converted back into pistes with enormous interventions in nature. Anyone who has ever travelled to a glacier ski resort in summer knows that these are permanent construction sites in the high Alps.
Snowmaking, construction site activities, the countless journeys made by snow groomers - all of this has a considerable impact on the climate. But where can the most CO2 be saved on a skiing holiday?
