How Global Warming is making businesses adapt.

Source: www.firsttracksonline.com

Climate change and Global Warming are directly affecting the skiing industry and the winters in America.   With the new unpredictable snows/winters there has been a decrease in profits for ski resorts across the country and shortened seasons in which people are able to ski and snowboard.   Less snow means that ski resorts now need to make more artificial snow which is expensive to make.   They have to adapt to the new climate.  In the article “How Climate Change Impacts Skiing Industry in Drought-Stricken California” that was published by EcoWatch written by Cole Mellino, it talks about how ski resorts and businesses are adapting to the change by producing fake snow and providing summer activities, and what they're doing to counter it and bring attention to the problem.    

One way in which they are adapting to the change is providing summer activities, such as mountain biking, hiking and frisbee golf, on the ski mountain.    When doing this, they are open during the summer and maybe all year round depending on their schedule and if they are fortunate enough to be open during the winter. Also with a decrease in the amount of snowfall in recent years, “it's becoming more and more expensive and unethical for resorts to pump out snow when mother nature doesn't deliver it” according to the article.  Larger, more profitable resorts like Breckenridge,  Keystone,  Arapahoe, Vail, or Aspen in Colorado would probably be able to provide fake snow if there's a shortage in snowfall,  but that will take a toll eventually.  I know for a fact that Keystone offers summer activities during non-winter seasons.  And that they make fake snow during the season.  I remember one year there was barely any snow on some slopes and they were making fake snow so they could keep slopes open for the skiers. According to climate scientist Neil Berg, “snowfall in Southern California could be a thing of the past: 'It's within the realm of reason that temperatures could be rising rapidly and high enough where we just don't have winters with snowfall events anymore. It's a scary and unfortunate possibility,’” Climate change/Global warming not only affects ski resorts and the skiing industry,  it affects people, there way of life, animals, marine animal, coastal areas, weather etc. In addition, with the decrease in the  amount of snowpack that is received,it threatens the water supply in those areas such as California too.   Therefore affecting prices and supply of clean water and the demand for water will just keep going up if there's a shortage.   

To battle Global Warming,  “more than 1,000 companies, including more than 100 ski resorts and hundreds of businesses in California, have signed the Climate Declaration, which urges the public, policymakers and business leaders to tackle climate change” according to the article.   Businesses, especially in the ski industry, are trying to tackle Global Warming so they stay in business and keep making profit.  Another reason for them trying to fight it, is because the outdoor industry(for example ski resorts and rental shops) “ contributes $650 billion and 6.1 million jobs to the economy. Of this, snow-based recreation contributes $67 billion and 600,000 jobs” according to  the article. So not only will Global Warming effect the ski resorts/businesses, the recreational sport of skiing, but millions of people will be unemployed because of it.  The snow-based industry accounts for around 10% of the $650 billion and accounts for about 9.8% of the 6.1 million jobs that are in our economy.  It is not something that we should take lightly.