Sustainability has become a widespread concept in modern day organizations. This concept advocates for the preservation and conservation of the natural environment. The rise of globalization and advancement has led to increased degradation of the planet. Carbon emissions have influenced the quality of air and led to increased globalization. The ski resorts thrive because of the existence of mountain slopes and cold temperatures which favour the snow. Any slight change in this environment does not support any skiing activities. Therefore, this paper will examine the literature on sustainable practices in the ski resorts. This will bring forth the current sustainable practices in this sector. These will be important as they will reveal ways in which ski resorts should adopt to preserve the environment. The final part of the paper will provide recommendations to Big Bear Mountain Ski Resort on sustainable practices.
Literature review
It has become evident that skiing and the environment relate to each other to a greater extent. This particular sport exclusively relies on natural features of mountains such as slopes as well as cold temperatures which provide the snow. These two natural components have developed an entire sector in the tourism industry which is skiing. Therefore, the inclusion of environment in this sector brings up the issue of sustainability. Such sectors that have a direct impact on the environment are required to embrace sustainable practices to protect and conserve the environment. The increasing carbon emissions are threatening the ski industry which is valued at $3billion by 2009 (Karl & Andersen, 2011). Hence, ski resorts are compelled to monitor and assess their impacts on the environment because this sector cannot thrive in warm temperatures.
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The Sustainable Slopes Program (SSP) was created in 2000 to develop a framework for incorporating sustainable practices in ski resorts and operations. SSP was going to plan and design practices that conserve water use, waste management, energy conservation, air quality, wildlife, among many other issues (George, 2003). These elements play a big role in promoting the ski resorts sector. The use of biodiesel has become one of the most sustainable practices adopted by ski resorts. Previously, most buses have been using diesel which has been emitting a lot of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere leading to global warming. Increased emissions of this gas have negative consequences to ski resorts as they warm up the temperatures (Scott et al. 2006). Hence, in a bid to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, a lot of ski resorts have resorted to biodiesel which is a little bit costly.
Waste management has become another vital component that is being advocated in the ski resort sector. Recycling has become prevalent as the sector strives to reduce their impact on the environment. This has had a positive impact on eliminating harmful chemical compounds and gases that are exposed to the natural environment. Recycling is also beneficial as waste is turned into useful components that can be reused in the resorts and skiing. With regards to water use, stormwater has been recycled to meet the demands of the ski resorts. The development of water treatment plants has become effective in reducing treated water into the environment. The use of renewable energy is an inevitable alternative towards sustainable practices. A lot of ski resorts have developed wind turbines and solar panels as a way to conserve energy and reduce its impacts on the cold temperatures (Karl & Andersen, 2011). Energy is used a lot in the ski resorts for snowmaking process and powering various devices such as lights and telecommunications.
Current Sustainable Practices
Sustainable practices have become common in the ski resort sector. The nature of this sector majorly relies on sensitive natural elements as well human monitoring. These practices are deemed to ensure that the skiing thrives without influencing the snow, water use, energy management, among others. Waste management is evident at Big Bear Mountain Ski Resort. Skiing is a very sensitive activity because it majorly relies on the environment and its natural features. Therefore, the existence of waste is likely to contaminate the immediate environment in skiing areas thus leading to reduced snow and little forest cover. Recycling plants are at the core of waste management at Big Bear Mountain Ski Resort because they reduce the cost and protect the environment. All the used things from this ski resort are recycled for other uses instead of dumping them into the environment. This has reduced the tons of waste which were being disposed into the immediate environment. Waste management is a two-way highway in which the ski resorts benefit by having a suitable environment that complements skiing activities and also protecting the environment at the same time (Karl & Andersen, 2011).
It is important to manage water use which is an integral component in at Big Bear Mountain Ski Resort. Water has been used in the resort’s amenities as well as in the snowmaking process. The resort is noticed to have two reservoirs which hold1 million gallons and 15 million gallons of water (Sear, 2015). Despite having reservoirs, a lot of skiing areas in this resort face enduring drought seasons which leave mountain slopes bare without snow. This becomes an uphill task as skiing activities become impossible. Big Bear Mountain Ski Resort has opted to buy water from the nearby lake. Energy management is another vital practice that has ensured that ski resorts protect the environment.
Alternative renewable sources of energy have been used to minimize energy consumption. Scott and his colleagues (2006) believe the use of non-renewable energy is very costly and its impacts are not conducive to the environment. The availability of non-renewable energy becomes depleted every day which forces human to find alternative means. The extraction and transportation of non-renewable energy such as coal and oil have adverse effects on the environment. The most common reason for not incorporating this kind of energy is because it is not renewable. Therefore, it will cost these resorts a lot of money and adverse impacts on the environment. On the other hand, the use of renewable energy exploits natural resources to provide energy such as the sun and the wind. Increased wind turbines have been erected in ski areas to provide energy to the resorts and its activities. It is also evident that solar panels have been used as an alternative to wind turbines. Effective use of renewable energy reduces energy consumption while exploiting the benefits of natural features (Scott et al. 2006).
An important current sustainable practice missing at Big Bear Mountain Ski Resort is the use of biodiesel in skiing buses. These buses at this resort are using petroleum products such as diesel which has contributed to the rising global warming. Unfortunately, skiing does not thrive in warm temperatures because the snow will melt. Biodiesel has been used for skiing because it enhances the air quality. It reduces the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere which is important for the success of Big Bear Mountain Ski Resort. Studies have revealed that the use of biodiesel reduces the emission of carbon dioxide by 74% margin compared to diesel-powered buses (Scott et al. 2006).
Recommendations
Big Bear Mountain Ski Resort is likely to perform better when it embraces new sustainable practices. These practices are crucial as they will save the resort a lot of money as well as reduce their impact on the environment. The company has been noticed to rely on snowmaking because its slopes are drying up. This has brought up two major issues surrounding sustainability; water and energy use. The process of snowmaking requires tons of water and powerful electricity. It would be encouraged that Big Bear Mountain Ski Resort should incorporate water recycling to have more water at their disposal rather than buying water (Sear, 2015). This will monitor their use of water and cut down the heavy costs required to buy water.
The snowmaking equipment is powered by diesel generators. This is another common issue which has influenced global warming thus leading to reduced snow in the slopes. Diesel-powered machines are increasing carbon emission into the atmosphere thus raising the temperatures steadily. Warm temperatures are not suitable for the snow to thrive. Therefore, it is plausible that Big Bear Mountain Ski Resort should opt for alternative renewable sources of energy to meet its demands. They include solar power and wind turbines. It is important that this popular skiing resort should embrace sustainable practices as a way to show respect to the environment (George, 2003). This will set the pace for other ski resorts to follow the same path which will improve the environment as well as their business.
The use of hybrid buses should be encouraged at Big Bear Mountain Ski Resorts. These buses have been used to ensure that air quality has less impact on the environment. Another benefit of using biodiesel is that it is safer to handle, store up and transport, unlike petroleum which is highly combustible. Spills of biodiesel have little damage to the environment because it is less flammable. This sustainable practice has become instrumental in energy security, enhancing air quality and conserves the environment to a large extent.
References
George, A. (2003). Managing ski resorts: perceptions from the field regarding the sustainable slopes charter . Managing Leisure, 8(1), 267-284.
Karl, R.S., & Andersen, P.A. (2011). The diffusion of environmental sustainability innovations in North American hotels and ski resorts . Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 19(2)0, 342-350.
Scott, D., McBoyle, G., Minogue, A., & Mills, B. (2006). Climate change and the sustainability of ski-based tourism in Eastern North America: a reassessment . Journal of Sustainable Tourism, 14(4), 543-555.
Sears, J. (2015). Big bear: resorts depend on snowmaking machinery . Retrieved Online, November 29, 2017, www.pe.com/2015/02/15/big-bear-reaorts-depend-on-snowmaking-machinery/
