NEW ENERGY FOR SKIERS

Ski industry goes green to fight global warming
Tom Gardner, March 17, 2007 (AP via Yahoo News)

WHO
Fifty-five resorts in 14 states… the National Ski Areas Association…

WHAT
The ski industry is going green… Wind powers every lift and light bulb (low energy) at Vail's five resorts — Vail, Beaver Creek, Arrowhead and Keystone in Colorado and Heavenly in the Sierra on the California-Nevada line… Ever Vail, one of the largest green projects at a North American ski resort… From things as simple as scraping ice out of doorways so the doors close tightly to more complex ones like monitoring buildings with an infrared camera to detect heat leaks… High-speed lifts and gondolas…switching over to biodiesel…exploring tapping geothermal resources…Others recycle.

WHEN
Vail Resorts took the environmental lead in August…

WHERE
Mammoth Mountain… Vail resorts…Steamboat…

WHY
"We as a company and us as an industry are really kind of leading the way amongst corporate America in doing the right things for the environment," Vail Resorts CEO Rob Katz said.

QUOTES
"I'm not driven by regulatory compliance. Being in compliance is the lowest common denominator for us. We need to go way beyond compliance," [Mammoth Environmental Program Director Lisa Isaacs] said…In addition to her job developing policies that encourage employees and guests to conserve, the resort also has an energy manager — Bob Bradbury — who goes by the nickname "Tight Watt."