Moguls ahead!

I often (and possibly unfairly) allude to those telling others what not to do often being a tad shy on giving up the next ski weekend.

Can you ski and be green?

Beats yellow, I guess.

Good for some ....... but real bad for others

That's just about the simplest way to sum up the vagaries of our little planet's current weather.

If you are into skiing, then Europe currently has the best snow that its had for some 11 years. Indeed, it wasn't that long back that some were predicting the demise of the majority of the European ski resorts within the next 20 years or so, so December's heavy falls have been the cause of much rejoicing.

But, if you are an ice carver, all roads lead to Harbin, China, at this time of year, where the annual festival of ice is in full swing. The problem is, the ice is errrr ....... melting as fast as they can carve it and the locals have naturally put it down to global warming.

Just goes to show that nothing, climatically speaking, can ever be judged in a uniform manner.

There's no business...

... like snow business: Mad fer it – we’re going skiing in a £31m shed

As a genuine question, as I really have no clue as to the answer, I was wondering how these things compared in terms of carbon whatevers?

Yes, getting a family to the ski slopes has a consequence (snow cannon point noted) , but I guess so does running a dirty great big chiller too... 24/7, 365/365?

And if the numbers are not optimal... who gave planning permission? I'd hope not some LA type who is trying to save the planet with bi-weekly collections.

While we are on the subject of the Swiss ....

..... do read this from Magnus Linklater in TimesOnline Comment.

Twenty billion gallons of water are required to artificially make snow across the alps each winter!

"Because alpine resorts are, despite their icy surroundings, often short of water, these precious supplies must either be stored on site or ferried up by helicopter. The Swiss, veteran users of airborne travel, favour the latter. The French dig reservoirs. The Austrians do both. "

And they fly the water up in helicopters!

"It would be hard to conjure up a more potent symbol of environmental perversity than the use of carbon-spewing fossil fuels to help to dispose of millions of gallons of carefully extracted water in order that a few thousand tourists can slide down a slope for an extra week."

Quite! I can't think of anyone who can logically argue with that!