CEO of Vail resorts believes in global warming but not in using occasional ski resort weather as 'proof' of it, expects scare tactics will be used by groups beginning each season right before big snows get season underway

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12/21/12, "Skiing won't be greatest loss after climate change," Denver Post, Rob Katz, Chairman, CEO, Vail Resorts, opinion

"One of my favorite times of year is right before the holidays, with the excitement and anticipation of the winter ski season.

However, it has become somewhat predictable that with the first sign of a lack of natural snow, climate change articles and stories start to appear. In many ways, it's to be expected. It's hard to understand how the weather changes the way it does and why things can look so different from year to year. Two years ago was one of the most "epic" seasons for snow in Colorado's history. Last year was a tough season across the ski industry. This year has been a tough early season for Colorado, but it just finished snowing like crazy in both Tahoe and Colorado, with more on the way.

Count me in the category of someone who is very worried about climate change, but also someone who tries not to look at every weather pattern as "proof" of something. But, maybe more than anything, you can  

count me out of the group that says we need to 

address climate change to save skiing. 

I feel this way even though I run one of the biggest ski companies in the world. The impacts of climate change are a serious matter and rightly deserve our attention. At Vail Resorts, we are on a path to reduce our energy use by 20 percent over a 10-year period and have engaged in a number of substantial forest restoration projects — all of which help to contain the impacts of climate change. 

But to the folks trying to alarm people with images of melting snow, here is the dirty little secret: When the effects of climate change really show up, no one will care about skiing at Aspen and Vail. They will be rightly focused on the wildlife, natural habitat and people of our planet, about the sea levels, flooding and natural disasters like Hurricane Sandy.

So, let's keep the focus where it belongs and encourage everyone to do their part to reduce greenhouse emissions: not to save their favorite ski run, but to save the planet for our children and grandchildren." via Junk Science

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