Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
least 100 days, Koenig and Abegg (1997) indicated that whereas in the 1980s and 1990s,
85 per cent of ski resorts have had reliable amounts of snow for skiing, a 2°C warming
would bring this figure down to 63 per cent. Hantel et al. (2000) predict that a
temperature increase of only 1ºC would reduce the snow season in Austria by 73 days
over winter and spring. The reduction in the economic viability of low-altitude ski resorts
has already led to increased user conflict in high-altitude areas in Europe, many of which
are nature reserves and national parks, where
some developers want to establish new resorts or enlarge existing ones so as to maintain a
winter ski season. For example, McKie (2004:3) reporting that a half of all resorts in
Europe may have to close by 2050 with 'Politicians throughout the Alps are now being
pressed by business to relax environmental regulations that might block new
developments. This applies in particular to the higher, colder, parts of the Alps'.
However, alpine areas are not the only peripheral areas to be potentially impacted by
climate change. According to Arctic Climate Impact Assessment (ACIA) (2004) the
Arctic is warming much more rapidly than previously known, at nearly twice the rate of
the rest of the globe, and increasing greenhouse gases from human activities are projected
to make it even warmer. At least half of the summer sea ice in the Arctic is projected to
melt by the end of this century, along with a significant portion of the Greenland Ice
Sheet, as the region is projected to warm an additional 7-13°F (4-7°C) by 2100.
According to ACIA (2004) these changes will have major global impacts, such as
contributing to global sealevel rise and intensifying global warming. Key findings of
ACIA (2004) included:
• In Alaska, Western Canada, and Eastern Russia average winter temperatures have
increased as much as 3-4°C (4-7°F) since the mid-1950s and are projected to rise 4-
7°C (7-13°F) over the next 100 years. The potential impact of climate change on some
fish species such as lake trout, salmon, Arctic char and cod may also have significant
repercussions for fishing tourism which is an important activity in the Nordic
countries and Canada (Ivanov 1999; Mariussen and Heen 1999; Eide and Heen 2002).
• Arctic sea ice during the summer is projected to decline by at least 50 per cent by the
end of the twenty-first century with some models showing near-complete
disappearance of summer sea ice. This is very likely to have devastating consequences
for some Arctic animal species such as ice-living seals and for local people for whom
these animals are a primary food source (Thompson et al. 2001; Van Parijs et al.
2004). At the same time, reduced sea ice extent is likely to increase marine access to
some of the region's resources (Callaghan et al. 1999; Ivanov 1999).
• Warming over Greenland will lead to substantial melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet,
contributing to global sea-level rise at increasing rates. Over the long term, Greenland
contains enough melt water to eventually raise sea level by about 7 metres (about 23
feet).
• In the United States, low-lying coastal states like Florida and Louisiana are particularly
susceptible to rising sea levels as a result of the melting of the polar ice cap.
• Should the Arctic Ocean become ice-free in summer, it is likely that charismatic
megafauna such as polar bears and some seal species, which are significant nature-
based tourism resources, would be driven toward extinction.
