Australian Ski Resorts Threatened By Global Warming

(TRAVELWIRES): : Rising temperatures could all but end the ski industry in Australia by 2020.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:: Australia's magnificent white ski slopes beckon avid skiers from all around the world, but the glory days of the snow-packed resorts may be numbered. Rising temperatures could all but end the ski industry in Australia by 2020. In fact, a full two-thirds of the snow at the most popular ski resorts could vanish by then, according to a Sky News report.

"Because our current emissions and our current rises in temperatures are at the high end of the predictions, it's definitely coming to us sooner and faster," said Griffith University Associate Professor Catherine Pickering.

The snow covering in the alpine areas is already on the decline, according to Ms. Pickering. On the continent's highest altitude snow course at Spencer's Creek in the Snowy Mountains, average snow cover has decreased by as much as 30 percent during the past 50 years.

You don't have to be a scientist or environmental researcher to observe the effects of climate change at Australia's ski resorts. Skiers are witnessing the change first hand, commenting on the striking differences from year to year. Snow-packed slopes of previous seasons have given way to patchy and washed out areas. Skiers acknowledge having to keep an eye out for problem areas where the threat of injury may be higher.

Resort owners and managers are making every effort to combat the effects of global warming on their industry, working diligently to maintain a safe and enjoyable resort for their guests' pleasure. For years now, some resorts have been employing snowmaking technology to fill the void and keep the slopes covered. Experts caution, though, that this strategy may not be financially sustainable.

When you consider that Australia welcomes about 800,000 visitors a year during winter sports season, to the tune of a billion dollars, it's apparent that the ski industry and Australian tourism in general face significant challenges.

For skiing enthusiasts, it's hard to imagine a world without Australia's majestic ski slopes, but it may soon be but a beautiful memory of what once was.