The Austrian Alps - Austria - page 790

ECO SNOW
In a bid to offset the impact of skiing, many Austrian resorts are taking the green run with ecofriendly policies.
For more details on reducing your carbon snowprint, see www.saveoursnow.com .
» Lech in Vorarlberg scores top points for its biomass communal heating plant, the photovoltaic panels that op-
erate its chairlifts and its strict recycling policies.
» Zell am See launched Austria's first ISO-certified cable car at the Kitzsteinhorn Glacier. It operates a free ski
bus in winter and runs an ecological tree- and grass-planting scheme.
» Kitzbühel operates green building and climate policies, and is taking measures to reduce traffic and the use of
nonrenewable energy sources.
» St Anton am Arlberg has created protected areas to reduce erosion and pumps out artificial snow without
chemicals. Its excellent train connections mean fewer cars.
» Ischgl uses renewable energy; recycles in all hotels, lifts and restaurants; and has a night-time driving ban
from 11pm to 6am.
» Mayrhofen operates its lifts on hydroelectricity, separates all waste and has free ski buses to reduce traffic in
the village.
Skiing
Austria's highly lucrative ski industry is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, resorts
face mounting pressure to develop and build higher up on the peaks to survive; on the
other, their very survival is threatened by global warming. For many years, ski resorts
have not done the planet many favours: mechanically grading pistes disturbs wildlife and
causes erosion, artificial snow affects native flora and fauna, and trucking in snow in-
creases emissions.
However, many Austrian resorts now realise that they are walking a thin tightrope and
are mitigating their environmental impact with renewable hydroelectric power, biological
wastewater treatment and ecological buildings.