1. Bastian Richter

2. Snow Reliability of Ski Resorts Ski Resorts today = 100% % of “Snow- Safe” Ski Resorts

3.  Artificial Snow Mixing of chilled water with compressed air and additives 3100 snow cannons in Europe 100Million m 3 total water usage Equivalent to a city of 2 Mio. 31,000-36,000ha (+30% of skiable area ) +€200 million investment in 2008 Very high in energy use Higher density than natural snow Efficiency and quality depend on topography, temperature, and humidity

4. Impacts of Artificial Snow Depletion of rivers and groundwater Storage of water during the summer Loss of water from snow making in the winter  Droughts downstream and local water shortages Composition Additives and nutrients in water Higher turbidity  Decrease in water quality Density of artificial snow Late snowmelt Less vegetation  Increased run-off and floods Infrastructure Reservoirs, dams, pipes Erosion of soil Change of river flows  Change of habitat  Artificial Snow increases the effects of global warming