What Can You Do?

We are all responsible for ‘doing our bit’ to help the environment as skiers and boarders. Here are some helpful hints for when you are On Holiday or In Everyday Life

When on Holiday
There are lots of actions you can take when you are on your ski/snowboard holiday and also in the planning and preparation for your holiday. The Ski Club have devised some guidelines for acting more responsibly when in the mountains. These are the 7 steps to preserve the mountains.

Seven steps to preserve the mountains
	Be aware of your environmental impact as skiers and boarders Educate yourself about your environmental impact on the mountains, and what you can do to minimise it.
	Do not leave litter on the slopes When the snow melts, the litter will still be there. Bin it or take it home. Orange peel takes up to two years to break down, and cigarette ends up to five years. If you find litter on the slopes, do the right thing - pick it up.
	Respect the natural habitat of mountain animals and plants If you ski through trees, you can damage them by knocking off branches and killing young shoots under the snow. Take care. Many areas are out of bounds to protect the natural habitat of animals and plants - not just for safety reasons.
	Choose a resort which uses environmentally friendly practices Many resorts now use bio-diesel fuel in piste-bashers, solar panels for heating, hydro-electricity/wind energy for power and a host of other initiatives. Some resorts use the International Standards Organisation (ISO) 14001 as a mark of their environmental credentials.
	Encourage tour operators to adopt green policies Find out if your tour operator offers train travel as an alternative to flying, if they use paper from sustainable forests for their brochures, if they use, for example, low-wattage light bulbs in their chalets and bio-degradable detergents.
	Do your bit to reduce global warming on holiday and at home Re-use your towels each day, re-cycle household waste and switch off electrical appliances when not in use.
	Reduce CO2 emissions By flying fewer miles, or switching from air to rail, you can help reduce the volume of greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. When possible, use your bike instead of your car.

In Everyday life
Although we may see the effects of climate change more predominantly on the ski hills than at home, this does not mean that it is only while on holiday that we must consider the impact of our actions. Good practices learnt whilst in resort should be applied at home, and vice versa, as climate change is a global phenomenon and not selectively immune to our actions depending on location. Most green practices are not only planet-saving but also money-saving and health-enhancing, making life better all round, so get onto it!

Start by checking that your cavity walls and lofts are fully insulated; you could cut your energy bills by 40% - why pay to heat the street?

Use your feet to get around: walk, cycle or skate as much as possible. This will not only help cut your carbon footprint, but also save you cash and keep you in shape for your next ski trip. But most of us do need a car at some point, so when you’re buying your next vehicle, make it an energy efficient one. For more information visit www.green-car-guide.com.

The list of simple actions we can take to shrink our carbon footprint is endless, such as boiling only the water you need and turning appliances off standby.

The WWF provides a great list of steps we should all be taking in all aspects of daily life. Visit www.wwwf.org.uk