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Contact: Troy Hawks
NSAA Communications
(720) 963-4215
thawks@nsaa.org
Ski Industry Releases Annual Environmental Report
LAKEWOOD, Colo.–July 26, 2007–The National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) today
released its seventh Sustainable Slopes Annual Report detailing the ski industry’s
progress in implementing the principles of its Environmental Charter over the past
season. Together with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and energy bar
maker Clif Bar & Co., this season the Sustainable Slopes program continued to
focus on the Keep Winter Cool campaign (www.keepwintercool.org) to fight global
warming. A total of 98 resorts contributed to the information presented in this report.
On the operations side, NSAA encouraged member resorts to purchase green
energy to offset the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with their operations.
To date, 59 resorts are now purchasing green energy for their operations through
renewable energy credits. Of these resorts, 28 are offsetting 100 percent of
their GHG emissions. Collectively, these resorts are purchasing more than
322,321,000 kWh of green power annually.
According to the Annual Report it was estimated that in 2006 reporting
resorts reduced CO2 emissions by 136,855 tons through energy, waste, and
transportation reduction measures. In addition, the emission reduction for
resorts reporting green power purchases was estimated to be 230,122 tons
based on average state emission factors for electricity from the Energy Information
Administration.
To add perspective to the CO2 reductions quantified above, consider the following:
- Eliminating 25 pounds of CO2 emissions each year is equal to planting one tree.
Collectively, ski resort green power purchases are equal to planting more than 18
million trees.
- Eliminating 1,750 pounds of CO2 emissions each year is equivalent to shutting
down one 250-horsepower ski lift for one day. Collectively, the green power
purchases are equal to shutting down almost 263,000 ski lifts for one day.
- Eliminating 2,530 pounds of CO2 emissions is equivalent to avoiding one
round-trip airplane flight from New York to San Francisco. Collectively,
the green power purchases are equal to avoiding over 181,000 round-trip flights
between New York and San Francisco.
Addtionally, 63 endorsing resorts in 21 states are supporting the efforts of
the U.S. Climate Action Partnership (US-CAP) in pressing lawmakers to enact
national legislation that will require aggressive reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
The Annual Report also highlights the contributions of the ski industry’s
14 partnering organizations in Sustainable Slopes, including: the Bonneville
Environmental Foundation; Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment;
Conservation Law Foundation; U.S. Dept. of Energy; U.S. Environment Protection
Agency; USDA Forest Service; Leave No Trace; The Mountain Institute; National
Fish & Wildlife Foundation; National Park Service Concession Program; New York
State Department of Environmental Conservation; Teton County, Wyoming; the
Trust for Public Land; and the Wildlife Habitat Council.
To date, 184 resorts have endorsed the Environmental Charter, representing
more than 75 percent of the ski resorts nationally based on skier/snowboarder visits.
In 2006, NSAA released an updated Environmental Charter that identifies the latest
technologies and details best management practices available to resorts as they
enhance their efforts related to environmental stewardship. A copy of the 80-page
Sustainable Slopes Annual Report is available in electronic format on NSAA’s website.
To find it, click on the Sustainable Slopes link in The Environment section of nsaa.org.
Also located on the website is NSAA’s online database of ski area environmental
programs, The Green Room, and information on the Keep Winter Cool campaign.
2007 Sustainable Slopes Annual Report
THE NATIONAL SKI AREAS ASSOCIATION, LOCATED IN LAKEWOOD, COLO., IS A TRADE ASSOCIATION FORMED IN 1962 FOR SKI AREA OWNERS AND OPERATORS NATIONWIDE.
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