Dire BC Climate Predictions from U of C Researcher

**powslut** · 10-20-2006, 12:52 PM

B.C. skiers will flock to Alberta as climate warms, says geographer
His prediction: no natural snow on Whistler for the 2010 Olympics
Last Updated: Friday, October 20, 2006 | 11:40 AM MT
CBC News

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/sto...s-warming.html

A University of Calgary researcher says a warmer climate could be a boost for Alberta's ski hills, while causing problems for those in B.C. and in Quebec.

And, he doubts that Whistler will have natural snow for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics due to global warming.

Dave Reynolds, a PhD student in geography at the University of Calgary, predicts that global warming could spell trouble for most of North America's ski industry.

Many of Canada's ski hills will go out of business within 25 to 50 years, including those in Quebec and British Columbia, he predicts.

But he doesn't think the same holds true for most Alberta resorts.

"There will still be a ski industry in Alberta. It may just be that it will be the higher elevation hills that will be able to maintain and hold snow over the winter months," he said.

Skiers will head to Alberta resorts
Continue Article

Reynolds says Alberta resorts like Sunshine Village and Lake Louise, which are at higher elevations than other big resorts like Whistler, will actually benefit from a warmer climate.

"Those skiers that want to ski, they will have to find the ski hills in North America. And the only residual ski hills will be here in the West," he said.

Crosbie Cotton, a spokesman for an industry association called Resorts of the Canadian Rockies, agreed with Reynolds.

"If global warming was to have an impact on our industry, the expert consensus is that the Banff Rocky Mountain resorts would be the biggest winners," he said.

However, he added that given enough time, a warmer climate could also put Alberta's ski hills out of business.

No snow on Whistler in 2010

Reynolds is also predicting it will be too warm for natural snow on Whistler for the 2010 Olympics. Whistler is about 120 kilometres north of Vancouver.

"In 2010, for the Olympics, I would be panicking if I was part of the snow management program up there," he said.

"The problem is, how do you make artificial snow when it's five or 10 above?"

**Trackhead** · 10-20-2006, 12:55 PM

Fuck it, there's always sand skiing.

**PlayHarder** · 10-20-2006, 12:55 PM

Reynolds is also predicting it will be too warm for natural snow on Whistler for the 2010 Olympics

Pretty sure it's crap like this that gives the global warming denying crowd their ammo.

**iceman** · 10-20-2006, 12:57 PM

Originally Posted by PlayHarder

Pretty sure it's crap like this that gives the global warming denying crowd their ammo.

Seriously. in 2005 Whistler got 466 inches of snow, 116% of normal. And he predicts it won't even be below freezing in 2010? Okeydoke.

**mrryde** · 10-20-2006, 01:04 PM

what a bunch of horseshit, he probably works for accuweather

**Greydon Clark** · 10-20-2006, 01:06 PM

Originally Posted by PlayHarder

Pretty sure it's crap like this that gives the global warming denying crowd their ammo.

No kidding.

**Big E** · 10-20-2006, 01:09 PM

That's 3 years from now!!! I'm guessing he's just trying to drive down real estate prices at Whistler so he can afford something.

**cmsummit** · 10-20-2006, 01:09 PM

too warm to snow in Whistler within 3 years?

fackin' fruitcake.

**PNWbrit** · 10-20-2006, 01:13 PM

Not sure which is more unlikely no snow at Whistler in 3 years or him getting his phd?

If he'd said 30 years or perhaps even 15 I'd say that was within the realms of sanity.

**Greguar** · 10-20-2006, 01:13 PM

Originally Posted by powslut

Dave Reynolds, a PhD student in geography at the University of Calgary, predicts that global warming could spell trouble for most of North America's ski industry.

Sounds like a student looking for publicity to me

**HotDiggity** · 10-20-2006, 01:14 PM

Sucks that the CBC even gives credence to a PhD student's predictions. And to have his theory backed up by the spokesman for an industry association called Resorts of the Canadian Rockies that is clearly Alberta-centric makes it even more of a hollow prediction. Not so say there aren't many climate-related issues that must be assressed, but this bullshit doesn't help the cause.

I was at W/B last February and it was effin cold! Maybe if he saw the water from my camelbak flash freeze on my jacket his convictions would change slightly.

**PlayHarder** · 10-20-2006, 01:17 PM

Originally Posted by HotDiggity

And to have his theory backed up by the spokesman for an industry association called Resorts of the Canadian Rockies that is clearly Alberta-centric makes it even more of a hollow prediction

Heh. "Industry Ass'n" or "corporation that owns a bunch of ski hills".

**s.p.c** · 10-20-2006, 01:19 PM

Fuck all ya'll I'm moving to Alberta!

**AKA** · 10-20-2006, 01:23 PM

Originally Posted by PlayHarder

Pretty sure it's crap like this that gives the global warming denying crowd their ammo.

Kind of the same as the people that blame Hurrican Katrina on global warming. It helps the deniers alot, "look we didnt even have any Hurricanes this year, global warming's a scam."

**nesta** · 10-20-2006, 02:07 PM

Reynolds is so full of shit I bet his eyes are brown. Doom & gloom guy be gone. And don't let us British Columbians catch your stank ass in God's country.

**Telenater** · 10-20-2006, 02:34 PM

Ph.D. student with no publications (at least not that I could find in major scientific journals with predictions like this are either the result of him looking for attention, or the journalist taking him grossly out of context.

I've been part of cleaning up a mess caused by a journalist misrepresenting a colleage, Journalist will sometimes twist quotes till the bleed to get a headline that gets attention. U of C is fairly well respected for Geography work and this is somewhat out of the norms for that institution. I think something more is going on.

**Blashyrkh** · 10-20-2006, 02:41 PM

U of C geography may be well respected, but given the corporate sponsorship fiesta happening at the U of C it makes me wonder what corporation/section of the Alberta government is funding his research...
As for the journalist covering the story, that's either a misquote (not too likely) or they completely dropped the ball in their follow up questions.

**taynton** · 10-20-2006, 02:50 PM

Except if the conspiracy theory of government/ corperate spansorship was true, wouldn't the conclusion of the research be that global warming doesn't exist...

**HotDiggity** · 10-20-2006, 02:56 PM

Originally Posted by taynton

Except if the conspiracy theory of government/ corperate spansorship was true, wouldn't the conclusion of the research be that global warming doesn't exist...

Yes, in theory, unless those corporate sponsors were real estate developers at Alberta ski resorts who would benefit from the spectre of a snowless BC.

**Blashyrkh** · 10-20-2006, 03:15 PM

...Or if the government funded benefactors were Alberta Travel and Tourism and Banff National Park, both of which have ties to the U of C geography department.

**Ireallyliketoski2** · 10-20-2006, 03:19 PM

WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!

**danimal's dead** · 10-20-2006, 03:43 PM

Resorts of the Canadian Rockies, those guys are hosers, they drove up lift ticket prices and season pass prices at Fernie.

**Tippster** · 10-20-2006, 03:53 PM

Originally Posted by Ireallyliketoski

WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!

Loook - Global Warming!!! IT'S COMING RIGHT AT US!!!!!

**cowdog** · 10-20-2006, 03:55 PM

The first real test of his "work" is to see if he can get it in a peer-reviewed publication. Even at that point, it could be fabulously wrong, but at least there would be something to review, including methods and assumptions, etc. At this point getting info to the press is beyond premature.

I agree with Telenater about the challenges of getting out objective information via a journalist. If you've ever had involvement in that process, you would be shocked at how different a story can be from what you assume will come from your interview. For all we know the PhD student discussed a range of scenarios, and the one published was the extreme, least likely one, with all sorts of wacky assumptions. But, for a journalist, that's the feast.

**Greydon Clark** · 10-20-2006, 04:00 PM

Originally Posted by AKA

Kind of the same as the people that blame Hurrican Katrina on global warming. It helps the deniers alot, "look we didnt even have any Hurricanes this year, global warming's a scam."

Well, the US didn’t, but the biggest one in their history hit China. Still, weather isn’t climate, but few will notice if the Sierra sees an increase in mid-winter rain and the snow pack melts a month early in the spring. Yet these “minor” events will totally fuck farmer in the Central Valley (and the rest of the country by extension).