How did these companies get to this point? Many put on “green goggles” to examine their operations and quantify their environmental impacts. And many find, in the process, that business can thrive while cutting environmental impacts during a quest for sustainability. While some environmental impact data does exist in the wintersports industry, most resorts are not collecting it yet.
In April, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a study that quantifies the environmental impacts of the tourism and recreation industries, including skiing. The study’s painfully long name, “A Method for Quantifying Environmental Indicators of Selected Leisure Activities in the United States,” is balanced by the simplicity with which it can be understood. The study focuses on 10 activities: hunting, fishing, skiing, golfing, amusements, waterside activities, boating, historical-site visiting, casinos and conventions. The premise of the study is to quantify environmental impacts when a recreationist leaves home, travels to a destination (for a day or longer), eats, sleeps, buys goods, participates in the activity and then returns. Environmental impacts are calculated for each activity, such as water and energy use for snowmaking or lifts, or water use on golf courses, in addition to the support activities such as transportation, lodging, retail and restaurants.
Results of the study are broken down by water, energy, waste and greenhouse gas emissions. For example, municipal waste generation for skiing can be compared to amusements. In 1996, there were 54 million participants at amusement parks generating 700,000 tons of waste per year, or 25.9 pounds per person per year. In contrast, 9.5 million skiers generated 130,000 tons per year, 27.3 pounds per person per year, or nearly 10 percent more than amusement park visitors. From these data, we conclude that amusement parks generate less waste per person per year than ski areas. However, ski areas generate less waste per person per year than golfing, boating and hunting, among others.
Knowing this information, the active, environmentally conscious public could pick a vacation based on the environmental record of the industry. “Skiing has less of an impact than golf, I will ski more than I’ll play golf this year.” While this is not entirely likely, components of it could affect the market. More likely, however, is that the public will choose a destination based on its green record. In fact, research shows that in the next few years, environmental sensitivity will weigh heavily in deciding where to vacation. The challenge now is for ski areas to develop environmental data that are more reliable and complete for each individual resort.
So what can you do? Build on the auditing ideas that Brooke Hontz suggested in the May issue of SAM (“Five Ways to Go Green”), but with a broader view that will encompass more ground. Call up EPA, get on the efficiency bus and start driving. There are three major voluntary programs that EPA offers to companies: WAVE for water efficiency, Wastewise for recycling and waste reduction and EnergyStar for lights, appliances, buildings and more. There are numerous benefits to joining these programs, such as free software to help identify resource use, hotlines or personal contacts to answer questions.
Joining these programs provides a broad perspective with which to assess your operations. They provide a framework to systematically determine where your biggest operational costs are as well as identify alternatives and where you can invest for the quickest return. If you join, you will be one of the first, because as of now, there are fewer than five ski resorts in these programs.
And, finally, the National Ski Areas Association’s own Sustainable Slopes provides the language for sustainability and identifies many options for getting there. The EPA voluntary programs provide a somewhat different structure that will encompass many of the areas within sustainable slopes, but not all. Joining the programs outlined here is perfectly consistent with sustainable slopes and will provide you with the tools to make your annual reports easier.
In an era when there is a new, heightened awareness among consumers about all things environmental, it pays to be proactive instead of trying to catch up later when it may be too late.
Copies of the report, which have been sent to those in the ski industry and other industries contributing research as well as tourism offices across the U.S., can be found under “What’s New” at www.epa.gov/sectors. To receive a copy by mail, call (202) 260-2765 or email [email protected].
