The 2006/7 winter season was the warmest since 1950 with, according to M't'o France, average temperatures 2.1 degrees higher than the seasonal normal. This makes 2006/7 one of the hottest winters in France since 1950 including those of 1989/90 and 1974/75 both of which had temperatures of two degrees above the seasonal norm. This has meant that rain/snow limits have been higher this year than most winters, generally hovering around 1300m in February, but as high as 2000-2500 at the start of the season. As a result of this resorts situated below 1500m suffered with little snow cover on the lower slopes and the impossibility of making artificial snow, as temperatures were too high, resulting in many resorts having less than half their normal snow base on their lower slopes in February - although this situation was rectified in March with above average precipitation than normal.
The British media certainly painted a bleak picture of the snow conditions in the alps. However, reports of the death of the European ski industry were greatly over exaggerated and, although the season started off badly, it improved at altitude with ski areas above 1800m enjoying good skiing conditions. But due to the entrenched public belief that there was no snow in the alps many skiers have stayed at home.
With the threat of global warming turning into a reality the chances are that we'll see a repeat of this seasons uneven snow distribution in the future. The problem, therefore, is one of altitude. Precipitation levels were no lower than average, it's just that any snow that fell on lower lying slopes was frequently washed away by the rain which followed.
So what does this mean for the future of skiing? Many ski areas below 1500m will not be able to survive, or will have to diversify; so either those at high altitude such as Val Thorens, Chamonix or Zermatt, or the super domains such as The Three Valleys or The Portes du Soleil will survive. Skiers will more and more have to take advantage of the prevailing conditions which poses additional problems for big resorts who take on their staff for fixed contracts. Perhaps more people will take up cross country skiing and ski mountaineering, and sales in snow shoes are increasing.
Now-a-days we listen Climate Change more often than before. Climate change is a global phenomenon and the term ?Climate Change? is indeed a straightforward expression for such a complex subject. In fact, climate change has more than we can comprehend from this phrase and that is why it is quite essential to go at defining climate change in today's scenario. In the present glossary of researchers and scientists, climate modification as a term is no longer in use and effect. The reason behind this is that we have come to realize the effect of the changes we make to our environment will eventually increase the temperature in many parts of the world, but at the same time will also be decrease in temperature for few parts of the planet. This however, creates a general imbalance in the climate of the world which in turn leads us to the phrase, ?Climate Change.?
While wondering the effects of the climate change, the things you know of as climate modification is actually referred to as global a global phenomenon of climate change. However, with all the details and statistics we have in hand at present, we can definitely conclude that the world is unquestionably warming with the temperatures rising like never before. Climate change is a global problem with many natural disasters started taking shape; the general awareness of this factor is really low. For the better understanding of the issues associated with the climate change, we require a simple definition for climate change in relation to the warming of the planet. And this definition needs to be the one that brings us the essence of this problem without compromising the simplicities. However, the easiest and most precise definition is that climate change is the effect greenhouse gases have on the earth's overall climate. Greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide and methane, but are not limited to these two.
While learning more about climate change, we need to understand few important facts associated with it. The first fact is that climate change is both a natural phenomena and one catalyzed by us. For instance, greenhouse gases are a natural part of the biosphere and would exist if man did not. In fact, these gases are a vital component to the existence of life on this planet. It is due to the existence of the greenhouse gases, the temperature on planet earth does not average zero degrees! These naturally occurring gases help to keep the temperature at a desirable 59 degrees. But, the climate change, which is due to the greenhouse gases, is not indeed natural. In fact, the problem we are facing is the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. These gases act as thermal blankets for the atmosphere. The more gas in the atmosphere, the thicker the blanket and the less heat escapes from earth. In the last 80years, we have been releasing this gases into our atmosphere and thus helping them to form a blanket. On the other hand, we are reducing forests around the planet, which are the natural plant collection that absorb greenhouse gases. This double whammy is starting to show negative results, the increased heating of our world, and thus the beginning of the dreaded climate change.
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