Blog for Rural America

The Center for Rural Affairs, a private, non-profit organization, is working to strengthen small businesses, family farms and ranches, and rural communities. Permission to reprint items from this web log is hereby granted, on the condition that clear credit is given to the original source of the material. If the blog provides information for a story, please let us know by sending an email to johnc@cfra.org.

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

Aspen Puts Heat on EPA over Climate Change

Aspen Puts Heat on EPA over Climate Change

reported by Eric Mack, Colorado News Connection

Ski areas are feeling the heat from global warming, and now Aspen Skiing Company has joined the chorus calling for the Environmental Protection Agency to address the problem.

Colorado ski areas have begun to feel the heat from climate change in recent years... Warmer days and shrinking seasons have prompted Aspen Skiing Company to add its voice to the chorus of states and environmental groups calling for the Environmental Protection Agency to address the problem in a case currently before the Supreme Court. Ed Ramey is an attorney who authored a "friend of the court" brief detailing the concerns of the ski industry...

Ed Ramey, an attorney representing the Aspen Skiing Company points out that current climate models show that Aspen's very existence as a ski destination is in jeopardy. “Over the last 15 years we have been experiencing increasing temperatures on the order of two to three plus degrees on an annual basis,” said Ramey

The case before the court asks the EPA to regulate auto emissions that contribute to global warming. The EPA claims it does not have the authority to make such rules. Oral arguments were presented last week; a decision is not expected for a month or more.

Ramey is concerned that current climate models show that Aspen's very existence as a ski destination is in jeopardy. “Sometime between 2030 and 2100, we could be put in the position where the ski area is no longer economically viable – that doesn't just mean Aspen,” explained Ramey.

Ramey added that Aspen has already had to shoulder the cost of increased snowmaking because of an increase in the number of “frost-free” days.

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home