 Poster: A snowHead
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Until this photo was posted up by Aspen Times today I'd never seen it before. An extraordinary scene, at the base of a chairlift in Aspen in March 2003, somehow sums up the threat we're facing.
The article that goes with it - click here - talks of the threat to Thanksgiving skiing (traditionally the kickstart to the US ski season) and the general threat to ski resorts.
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It's a little sad and ironic to be posting up that story today. Only last night in London Aspen Snowmass staged a major promotion of its powder skiing and four-mountain ski area in a West End cinema. Their impressive promotional video 'The Power of Four' by Greg Stump (director of the legendary 'Blizzard of Aahhhs') was projected over the big screen and the attractions of the famous Colorado resort were plain to see.
The climatic reality is - as the article points out - recent mild Januaries, and melts in March. So, if you're going to ski those famous Rockies peaks, I'd do it in February for maximum powder potential.
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Thu 30-09-04 12:28; edited 1 time in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Its what we all dread really isn't it?
I wonder if the many of the other US resorts have a position on global warming? A resort like Aspen must attract the oil burning barons and one would think may be a good place to catch their attention for this issue.
The retort from Vail Mountain chief operating officer Bill Jensen replies, "Hogwash. I don't believe that at all" (about a complete snow drought in Colorado) is worrying in that it suggests that they may not be taking the threat seriously.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Scary stuff! How did they get off the lift?
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Very worrying picture. Did'nt the US government decide to ignore the Kyoto agreement for cutting back on greenhouse gas emissions a few years back? Maybe they should reconsider.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Russia hasn't signed Kyoto either, but there's news on the BBC today that Putin is pushing for it. There are murmurings that Bush is being given more honest advice about the threat now....meanwhile the world fiddles while Rome burns.
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Is'nt that Politics for you whatever the subject matter (or should that be Bol-itics ?). I don't suppose they will act until its too late.
Nads, they proberly waited until they became bouyant and floated off. Maybe then it will be taken more seriously.
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Colin Vince, they did ignore it but lots of the individual states or companies set policies in place that were in agreement with the Kyoto agreement or more strict. I can't remember any examples off the top of my head (california???) but i came across it in an article (I think) in New Scientist a while back.
Just because that national/government stance is worrying it doesn't mean the country isn't doing anything.
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In fact Clinton wanted to or did ratify the agreement but Bush (I have major US oil interests ) decided that it would affect the American economy ( Not that flooding in ski resorts doesn't )
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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The Russian Cabinet today agreed to ratify the Kyoto Protocol.
Regards
Rob
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Hopefully with Russia agreeing to ratify Kyoto pressure will be put on the 19 countries which have not yet agreed to ratify. These include (from the Annex 1 list) Australia, Coatia, Lichtenstein, Monaco, Ukraine and, of course, the USA).
Regards
Rob
(edit to remove Switzerland from list of non-ratifying countries - I think their House of Representatives have now signed)
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Our Regional Governor, here in Lumbardy is pushing to have all engine for traction means converted to the use of Hydrogen (BMW like solution, which uses an Otto engine) by 2008...
Probably a political move only, still this guy has been pushing in that direction since
at least 1999....
Anyway, it's too late for us. Even if we were able to convert our economies to a non polluting non temperature raising technology, it will take decades, if not centuries for the effect of what we've done to be absorbed by Mother Earth.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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The most important one is the USA, it produces something like 25% of the total polution in the world each year, Russia by comparrison only produces 15%
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Matteo, I think that depends on things we can't predict. A couple of Krakatoa-sized eruptions, within say a decade, might undo it all. So might natural variations in solar output, which are little understood.
In the absence of those kind of things, we might be in a Catch-22: carry on as we and the snowfields melt; but any serious attempt to reduce CO2 emissions (ie, beyond Kyoto) would surely rule out wasting energy for frivolous reasons such as skiing holidays. 
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You know it makes sense.
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laundryman, of course you're right. global warming can't be caused by only one source, it can be a "normal" geological phase which we humans are only "helping", it can be anything and the opposite.
I really liked the winters following the explosion of that Volcano in the philippines...
when I was a kid I used to muse that we humans were just louses living off from the Earth resources, and over with we held little control..
Don't know if that is true and if yes to which degree...
Anyway, wasn't it observed that during the famous black out of last year in the USA pollution decreased greatly for the duration of time that plants were off and that both horizontal and vertical visibility increased a lot too?
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| Matteo wrote: |
| Anyway, wasn't it observed that during the famous black out of last year in the USA pollution decreased greatly for the duration of time that plants were off and that both horizontal and vertical visibility increased a lot too? |
That was also a pleasant and dramatic side-effect of the closure of the Mont Blanc tunnel to the Chamonix valley, all the way to Geneva.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Ehe!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I heard that China is the second largest pollutor but is exempt from controls as its a developing country. A few years on it may be number one.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Chris B, actually and surprisingly China has already agreed to sign the agreement (or to abide by it) even thogh it is not classed as a developed country and as such would not have to sign, I think india has also agreed, the US did agree to sign the treaty and reduce its polution levels by 6% however Bush refused to ratify the agreement and the US polution has actually risen by 15% since then, I was wrong about the level of polution produced by the US it wasnt 25% it was 36% ! Coming back to China and India, although they have both signed up to the Kyoto agreement there is some doubt as to how well they will be able to control their polution due to the developing nature of their countries, however the simple fact that they have acknowledged the danger of Global warming and are going to try to do soething about it is better than the official US attitude
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Respect for China increses, Yanks well only confirm what we alrteady know. Having said that though I am sure we could do a lot better. Anyone considered how much pollution is caused by bringing food from distant countries because its either not avaliable for a month of two here of its marginally cheaper elsewhere 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Chris B, not just food either, my father-in-law sells, amongst other things, natural stone. For the last few years there's been competition from Asia with imported quarried stone. If they can quarry, transport and ship stone and still be competative on price then nearly any product can be transported globally and remain viable.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| laundryman wrote: |
| Matteo wrote: |
| Anyway, wasn't it observed that during the famous black out of last year in the USA pollution decreased greatly for the duration of time that plants were off and that both horizontal and vertical visibility increased a lot too? |
That was also a pleasant and dramatic side-effect of the closure of the Mont Blanc tunnel to the Chamonix valley, all the way to Geneva. |
And on the other side of the tunnel too. That's why so many people campaigned for the tunnel to either not re-open or for lorries to be banned from it.
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Ehe!
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Matteo, is that agreement, disagreement or the hiccups? 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Ehe is German for before or marriage.
I think he's after Nadenoodlee.
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As in "Sex ehe Ehe" perhaps
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Talking of Nadenoodlee (did you miss me?), way back she asked how those poor sods got off the chairlift. Only Colin Vince suggested an answer.
The picture is actually misleading, and the article is quite incorrect to suggest it demonstrates impending disaster for ski resorts. Quite the opposite. The picture actually shows a group having their first lesson in the exciting new sport of Chairlift Aquaplaning. In the lesson the chairlift is going very slowly. Later on when they try the sport, the chairlift is sped up to high speed so when they jump off they whizz across the water and try to reach the other side. Beginners often fail to reach dry land and get soaked . I understand Chairlift Aquaplaning will be a demonstration sport at the next winter olympics.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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In that case, maybe the customary "Your lifejacket is under your seat" might be a good idea.
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Wait, that's global warming!?! Was the snow solid when they got on the lift?
And there I was thinking that that liquid was just the result of someone's inability to get on or off the lift.
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You know it makes sense.
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skanky, Euwwww 
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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D G Orf, sorry.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Russell, there is a lot of argument over the effects of a conveyor belt shutdown.
It has happened. It might happen. It will bring disaster, and it won't .
I sometimes wonder if some of these scientists live in the real world.
Toutatis was a "near miss". One million miles! A near miss? Good grief.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Jonpim, that's a very near miss. the closer it gets, the more likely the Earth's gravitational pull could affect it. It doesn't have to be aimed directly at the Earth to hit it. Plus in the distances we're talking about, that's relatively very close.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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skanky, at may be a "near miss" to you: you are a man of the world, knowledgable of physics and cosmology, and appreciate that Bruce Willis will not always be around to save us. But there are lots out there who think rather differently. Take the guy I was talking to the other day. He was very sick, the procedure planned was dangerous: I told him he had about a 50:50 chance of making it (surviving). He replied: "Oh, you mean, like the lottery?". It seemed I had failed to adequately explain the seriousness of his condition. I asked what he meant. "You know", he said: "the lottery: you either win or you don't - 50:50!"
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Hate to bring this thread back to the fore at this time of year when we're all planning our trips, but more alarming ... or alarmist? ... articles are appearing at the moment, such as this one in the Independent.
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The rate at which global warming gases are accumulating in the atmosphere has taken a sharp leap upwards, leading to fears that the devastating effects of climate change may hit the world even sooner than has been predicted. |
plus much more of the same....
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I wonder what other monitoring stations are recording? It's a pretty big leap to make global predictions based on local observations. I would think that local effects are significant for a CO2 monitoring station atop an active volcano.
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