The snow is melting – so what are skiers and mountaineers doing about it?
The Spinoff Daily, Thursday September 19
Ahiahi mārie, welcome to The Spinoff Daily.
Today on The Spinoff: Free-to-air sports are suddenly back. Why? And what does it mean for NZ Rugby? Plus: shocking new video confirms a significant number of New Zealanders have been recruited to join The Office Australia.
Shanti Mathias: “For people who spend time outdoors, there’s no way to ignore that a warming climate is happening now. If you go skiing every winter, you might notice more rocks and tussocks poking up through thinning snow cover. If you’re climbing mountains, you might have to change access routes as crevasses yawn open on melting glaciers. If you’re plotting complex trans-alpine routes, you can’t rely on the topographic maps being accurate, as reducing snow leaves cliffs where there had once been frozen water. Everywhere in the world, high-altitude mountain areas are warming much faster than the global average.
At the same time, outdoor activities can generate lots of emissions, especially in the transport required to get to these areas. Activities like skiing and multi-day tramping are often undertaken by people with higher incomes (as research commissioned by DOC in 2020 has found) – people who could skip out on the melting frontcountry to go heliskiing or take a trip to Canada to do some ice climbing instead. So what is New Zealand’s outdoor community saying – and doing – about climate change?”
Free-to-air sports are suddenly back. Why – and what does it mean for NZ Rugby?
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