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Green Generators Picture-postcard villages nestling in Alpine valleys may be left bare of snow and robbed of the winter tourism that keeps them going as global warming strengthens its grip, new research showed Tuesday.

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Solar Panel Global temperatures are expected to rise by up to three degrees Celsius in the next 50 years, melting glaciers, raising the snow line up mountains and crippling the ski industry, according to the U.N. Environment Program (UNEP) study.

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Epa Greenpower ``The temperature changes will be more violent in the northern hemisphere during winter, so ski resorts are seriously at risk,'' said Rolf Burki, who carried out the research.

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Wind Energy Slopes above 3,900 ft are now considered viable ski areas but, according to the report, in 30 to 50 years skiers will have to trek to altitudes of 4,900 to 5,900 ft.

The Mt. Snow Ski Resort features 590 skiable acres, 98 acres of tree terrain, a vertical drop of 1, 700 feet from the 3, foot summit, and an uphill capacity of 30, 370 skiers per hour. Mount Snow receives an average of 156 inches of snowfall per year, and the Mount Snow skiing season is extended by the resort's 80 percent snow making capacity. The Mt. 14.

Solar And even up there, resorts will not be out of global warming's reach.

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Nuclear Power Environmentalists say Alpine glaciers and permafrost -- frozen soil -- could melt entirely by the end of the century if temperatures keep rising, making resorts more vulnerable to landslides.

Greenpower Inc Some scenarios suggest global warming could increase snow fall above 6,600 ft. Without a solid base of permafrost, that could raise the risk of avalanches, Burki told a conference that coincided with a major environmental meeting in Milan.

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Power Greene Most top Alpine resorts are high in the mountains but smaller, lower villages that depend on tourism for survival are already seeing global warming wreak havoc on winter sports.

Green Electric Banks have stopped lending to Swiss resorts below 4,900 ft, worried they will never get their money from ski fields that will have to invest millions in snow-making equipment to stay viable over the next decade, Burki said.

Am Greenpower About a third of Switzerland's resorts, mostly small fields where children learn to ski, are already struggling to survive.

Renewable Electricity Some top resorts like Cortina d'Ampezzo in eastern Italy or Austria's Kitzbuhel are dotted with barrels blowing snow onto the lower slopes so people can ski back to town.

Green Company But the cost of snow-making is too high for any but the richest resorts.

Led Greenpower Laying the infrastructure of water pipes and turbines to make a 0.6 mile-long slope costs about $600,000. Puffing snow out of the system costs another $36,000 a year, said Burki, who researches economic geography at the University of Zurich.

Alternative Energy ``Man is clever at creating technology to substitute nature but it only goes halfway,'' said Klaus Toepfer, executive director of UNEP.

Green Products ``Unless tough decisions are taken about global warming -- from politicians to ski resorts themselves polluting less -- skiing will look very different to future generations than it does now.''

Green Powers Reuters - 12/2/2003

Topic: Climate Change

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