From the Wall Street Journal:
Snow Cannons Drink Up
As Attention Is Turned
To Globe's Rising Thirst
The chief executives of Coca-Cola Co., Nestlé SA and others will warn the World Economic Forum in Davos this week that the world is running out of water, threatening conflict, higher prices and lost production.
Some will likely then strap on skis to take advantage of the Swiss resort's glistening slopes. But the pistes of the Alps are also contributing to the world's water woes.
Europe's ski resorts have been racing to install snow-making machines to bed the slopes with artificial snow as snowfall becomes less reliable and resorts compete with one another to offer guaranteed good skiing. That is great for skiers and businesses that rely on them, but not so great for local water supplies.
Snow cannons suck up a lot of water. As much as 35% of all water used in Davos now goes to making artificial snow, according to a report released last month by the Swiss Federal Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research to examine the net benefits of snow-making machines. Davos bought 16 additional snow cannons for this season, according to town authorities. Should Davos-man feel guilty about going skiing? "Well, yes," said Christian Rixen, a Davos-based biologist who cowrote the report....MoreHT: The WSJ's Energy Roundup blog.
The Daily Davos blog has this headline:
Snow Calls for Bigger Stimulus Package
