Grand Targhee: Verifiably Good

In an effort to accurately and comprehensively manage its emissions, Grand Targhee Resort elected to voluntarily report its emissions inventory with The Climate Registry, a voluntary greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting program.  According to a March 26 press release, Grand Targhee is very concerned about climate change and is “interested in opportunities to engage hundreds of thousands of winter sports enthusiasts each year through education and example.” Known for a reliable snow pack (500 inch annual snowfall), Grand Targhee certainly has a lot to protect.

The Climate Registry is a nonprofit collaboration among North American states, provinces, territories and Native Sovereign Nations that sets consistent and transparent standards to calculate, verify and publicly report greenhouse gas emissions into a single registry. Christina Thomure, Director of Sustainable Operations at Grand Targhee Resort reported that The Climate Registry’s protocol for measuring greenhouse gases “ensures a level of accuracy and transparency that far exceeds all other tools we evaluated.” Notably, the Registry requires annual third party verification and is widely viewed as the premier GHG registry in North America.

Tags: carbon emissions, Climate change, GHG Emissions, green, Policy & Social Change, resources, science, ski green, Ski Industry, Technology

Every year, around 550,000 people from all over the world visit the breathtaking Matterhorn glacier paradise vantage point. Until now, visitors were met with makeshift catering facilities, poor sanitary arrangements and, depending on their footwear, almost impassable routes through ice and snow up to the entrance of the glacier palace. Such conditions do not meet the requirements of today’s visitors: people who go on such an excursion at an altitude of 3,883 metres above sea level expect something very special and unique.

Zermatt certainly did build something very special this summer. The new “Glacier restaurant” and the alpinists’ accommodation will comply with the Minergie P standard (the highest energy standard). (more…)

Tags: alternative energy, green building, resources, Technology

The Sustainable Slopes Environmental Charter drives the NSAA’s database of ski areas, an industry-sponsored effort that highlights what your favorite ski area is doing to help conserve our resources. While it’s great to see the ski industry move in the right direction, the Ski Area Environmental Scorecard by the Ski Area Citizens Coalition may provide a less bias view. (more…)

Tags: How to Ski Green, Ski Resorts