Introduction:
topic- What Vermont ski resorts are doing and could be doing in order to be less environmentally damaging and truly sustainable.
Why?- I chose this topic because it is a very localized situation, it is very important to know the ski resorts we know and love are trying very hard to be less harmful to our world so that we won't lose them in the next years to come. It is also very important that we all know how huge of an impact a resort like that is, most people do not really take into account how much energy it takes to run such advanced machinery like chair lifts and create large villages for guests to entertain themselves etc.
Audience- My audience is going to be the champlain student body, and all of the vermont ski resorts.
What:
Ski resorts are a huge source of pollution and habitat destruction for the state of Vermont. The lifts, snow cats, snowmobiles, etc all create great amounts of fossil fuel emissions. The towns are being built over forest lands, wetlands, and streams, destroying many animals habitats, along with the cutting down of trees in order to create the trails we all love. Not to mention the vast amounts of energy being used to heat, light, and run water all across the villages. There are lots of these Vermont mountains that have become much more aware of what they are doing to our environment, due to the great effort through out Vermont to find ways to preserve the natural beauty in this state.
So What: Whether people like it or not, this issue effects each and every Vermonter personally. This is not just the ski resort's problem, this could, if nothing is done about it, all in all destroy the beautiful wildlife that Vermont is so famous for. If we keep destroying mass amounts of animal's habitats and releasing so much fossil fuel emissions and essentially just using way to much energy, we will be contributing greatly to climate change, creating holes in the ozone layer, possibly killing off and most definitely endangering many species who have lost their homes. Whether a Vermonter will admit it or not, most of the will, the natural beauty of this state is a huge reason if not the reason that they love it so much here. The farmer's love and need it, all the environmental activists clearly love it, the skiers/snowboarders need it and love it, even people from out of state are drawn to Vermont for the outdoors specifically all year round.
Now What:
- Many vermont ski resorts are using strictly biodiesel to power lifts, snow cats, etc.
- Smuggler's notch does full research before creating a new trail, building, lift etc so that they do dangerously effect or destroy animals habitats.
- If building over wetlands or stream, many mountains have started to transfer the animals and surrounding shrubbery etc to a stream near by where they can thrive in their native environment.
- Many mountains, including Smuggler's notch, are being much more aware of energy efficiency in the villages and condominiums. Smuggler's Notch has a five star rating system and in order for a new building to receive this rating, "all new construction features energy efficient florescent lighting, LED exit lights, high efficiency, propane fueled HVAC plants, high insulation values, energy efficient appliances and water conservation fixtures. The buildings also feature environmentally friendly materials and fixtures such as gas fireplaces, recycled rubber carpet pad and low VOC paint (volatile organic compounds)."
- "High efficiency gas-fired boilers heat all of our pools. These heaters are about twice the cost of standard models, but the investment is recaptured in energy savings over a period of only 3 years. In addition, insulated pool covers are utilized when the pools are not in use to reduce heat loss, providing energy savings of 60 percent. Besides reducing heat loss, the covers also reduce the amount of water and chemicals lost through evaporation."- Smuggler's is going to great lengths to make their entire resort and surroundings environmentally friendly and sustainable.
- Could be using geothermal heating and cooling in their buildings, some resorts have started to use solar power, though not very many.
- Could be reducing the size of their towns, not necessarily less condos or hotels, but less odds and ends stores and cut out the overload of night life, for example the excessive amounts of bars and clubs in order to use even less energy.
Conclusion:
I believe this is a very important issue that is really progressing in the right direction, so it seems from my research. Lot's of mountains and other organizations have really taken action on what is going on with these ski resorts and are constantly working to find ways to decrease damages to our environment. Sugarbush and Smuggler's Notch are especially doing a great job and I think that other mountains, not to say they are doing a bad job or are not doing anything, but they could take the initiative these two mountains have given them and start really making some drastic changes. I think it is very cool that Vermont in general cares so much about the environment as to be acting so aggressively on this situation, I think that educating Champlain students about this and reinforcing that people care about this issue to the ski resorts is quite important because if this is not acted upon quickly we will just be destroying Vermont and our Earth in general everyday, while we have the power to prevent it.
Audience Communication:
I will be making a flyer to post around the Champlain campus educating people on the subject in order to make them aware of it and perhaps spark their interest in it. I will be sending a letter to the ski resort's in Vermont saying what I think is going well and what I believe still needs to or could be be done to help according to my research. This letter I believe will be effective because when the ski resorts start seeing that people really do care enough to put this much time in researching this issue, the ones that have not made much progress, will begin to. One reason is because they could lose business if all these other great resorts near by are so eco friendly due to people wanting to support them, an another reason is I feel as though many people don't even know how real and serious this situation is and how much they could be doing to help it instead of hinder it even further.
Bibliography:
Source #1: "Smugglers' Notch, Vermont - Environmental Awards." Winter Vacations at Smugglers' Notch Vermont. Smuggler's Notch Vermont. Web. 06 Nov. 2011. <http://www.smuggs.com/pages/universal/environment/awards.php>. http://www.smuggs.com/pages/universal/environment/awards.php
Source #2: "Environmental Awareness." Vermont Historical Society. Vermont HIstorical Society, 2006. Web. 06 Nov. 2011. <http://www.vermonthistory.org/freedom_and_unity/vt_transition/environmental.html>. http://www.vermonthistory.org/freedom_and_unity/vt_transition/environmental.html
Source #3: The Environmental Charter for Ski Areas. National Ski Areas Association. Web. 06 Nov. 2011. <www.nsaa.org/nsaa/environment/sustainable_slopes/Charter.pdf>. www.nsaa.org/nsaa/environment/sustainable_slopes/Charter.pdf
Book- Source #4: Pahl, Greg. Biodiesel: Growing a New Energy Economy. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green Pub., 2005. Print.
Source #5: Vermont’s Changing Forests Key Findings on the Health of Forested Ecosystems from the Vermont Monitoring Cooperative. Vermont’s Changing Forests Key Findings on the Health of Forested Ecosystems from the Vermont Monitoring Cooperative. Vermont Monitoryin Cooperative, Oct. 2009. Web. 06 Nov. 2011. <http://sal.snr.uvm.edu/vmc/>. http://sal.snr.uvm.edu/vmc/
Source #6: "Sugarbush Biodiesel Program." Sugarbush Vermont Ski Resort and Golf Club in the Mad River Valley. Sugarbush. Web. 06 Nov. 2011. <http://www.sugarbush.com/content/cm.asp?pid=190>. http://www.sugarbush.com/content/cm.asp?pid=190
Source #7: "Biodiesel: Journey to Forever." Journey to Forever: Hong Kong to Cape Town Overland - An Adventure in Environment and Development, Join Us on the Internet, All Welcome, Participation, Online Education, School Projects, Free of Charge. Journey to Forever. Web. 06 Nov. 2011. <http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel.html>. http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel.html
Source #8: "The Environment at Smugglers' Notch, Vermont." Winter Vacations at Smugglers' Notch Vermont. Smuggler's Notch Vermont. Web. 06 Nov. 2011. <http://www.smuggs.com/pages/universal/environment/index.php>. http://www.smuggs.com/pages/universal/environment/index.php
Book-Source #9: Brown, Lester Russell. World on the Edge: How to Prevent Environmental and Economic Collapse. New York: W.W. Norton, 2011. Print.
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