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NRDC Associate Director of Communications Bob Deans on a report winter tourism industry lost $1 billion over the last 10 years due to warmer weather.
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So -- the US key industries heading downhill a new study reports the winter tourism industry.
Experience an estimated one billion dollar loss over the past decade due to climate change.
And with the US on track to have the warmest year in its history -- -- industries being dealt yet another brutal well joining me now is Bob Deans from the National Resources Defense Council.
The groups behind that particular study Bob thank you walk into the shout.
Thank you senator good to be here so let me get this right you're blaming the warm winters lack of snow on climate change.
Absolutely you know we -- music you -- consensual or on track -- of the end of November we've had the hottest year on record in this country 3.3 degrees hotter than the twentieth century average and it hurt our farmers and ranchers devastated by the worst drought in fifty years wildfires destroyed nine million acres of forest and fields and now.
For senior on the ski slopes because of course climate change for the slopes means less snow on the ground.
Fewer skiers on the slopes and if you make your living in this business less money in the wallet and -- -- -- question that that reasoning behind this in say a billion dollar loss for the industry over the past decade.
ICI also that your study -- 27000.
Jobs have been lost and they might remind you hate we -- have pretty brutal recession and we're slow coming out of it.
Might just be a weak economy that's driving a lot of tourists away from these destinations.
Together that would be sound reasoning Sandra and that's why the economist who looked at this.
Looked at a corollary shouldn't between fewer snow days and a lower number of skiers on the slopes and -- skiers pay about a 141 dollars a day to be out there on the -- that's about what their total spending years so when they're staying home because you've got -- shortened season up front in the short season now back and less snow on the ground in between.
That hurts.
Well one can agree that there has been some follow weather environments -- I'm just curious what areas of of this country had been hit hardest.
By these warmer temperatures their lack there's a lack of thereof of snow.
Absolutely we look at Colorado right now and it's it's Todd of course the heat and drought Denver last month head.
15 of its normal rainfall what that means is there's less water out there -- moisture in the creeks in the rivers -- snow pack less snow melt.
Up in the northeast we've been heard about half of the snow that normally yet.
We're seeing take a look at Aspen right now two thirds of the slopes are closed and hey it's the middle of December.
-- all three quarters of the slopes are still close Killington Vermont three quarters of the slopes still closed here we are the middle of December.
Let's and I just got back from one I was moderating a panel out that way in Colorado and acted -- -- a -- is no I'm and it sits right -- that prime time when you want -- showing up so what do you do because like all businesses and industries.
You have to accommodate to changing environments how do you lure customers through the door even without their -- is.
Well the -- -- short term and long term.
Without your skis you you turn to -- lot of people let's go mountain biking you turn to hiking.
You try to take people -- these beautiful Alpine slopes when there's not snow out there you have to reduce your rates little bit to do it at the end of the day.
It's about skiing ski slopes we need snow -- its currency for these folks that's what they really need.
Long term we've got to go after the carbon pollution it's warming the planet we've got to go -- our power plants we've got to invest in renewable energy like wind and solar we've got to invest in efficiency so we can all -- -- A lot of that too much into the climate change argument but what I do know is it is what's the solution here I mean you guys are having open your doors late.
I mean I know you're seeing -- other extracurricular activities you can do you can ride bikes you can do these types -- things.
But I mean you've got -- changes in industry hole if -- study really shows that this is climate change causing this.
You know adapt and change for the long term and just saying hey there's a -- truck -- -- -- that's gonna cut it.
You know for so many Sandra -- right for somebody the sad truth is.
The prognostications are that if we continue warming at a rate of maybe four to ten degrees over the next century.
Within fifty years half of the ski slopes in in New Hampshire will be gone.
Massachusetts and Connecticut will be amnesty business completely because you can only adapt so much before you say the revenue just isn't -- just keep the doors open.
All right what they hear about forecasters telling you now about -- coming year obviously we just had to blast -- it was the fourth warmest record.
The fourth warmest on record since 1896.
-- -- at least get better from that right.
Well we sure hope so but you know we're looking at the long term trend and of course when you look at climate change you can't predict individual weather patterns over the next week -- the next month.
We're looking at the long term trend.
And unfortunately as you mentioned.
We're working on the first eleven months this year -- the hottest on record in the United States.
We've got to go after the problem the problem is this industrial carbon pollution we've got -- strike a blow against climate change but.
Got to leave it there Bob but I'm I'm just wondering -- it just can't just keep making snow carriages -- no I'm not Malcolm movements.
You know it's expensive right now.
It's expensive a half a million dollars a year on average for ski resort to make its own snow and you get a warm day and melts.
RA Bob -- thank you so much for joining us tonight thank you senator.
