In the March/April issue, I was struck by the juxtaposition of the two articles “Canaries in the Mine” and “Giving Winter a Hand.” In the latter, Mr. Cheney-Seymour’s answer to how global warming is disrupting the Van Hoevenberg ski season: install “snow factory” machines that can make snow in any temperature. These machines, of course, operate with electricity generated mostly by fossil-fueled power plants. Which create more global warming. Which will require Van Hoevenberg to install more snow factories.
While the catastrophic climate effects of CO2 and methane emissions are becoming clearer every year, global emissions keep rising. This is an emergency: time to take a hard look at our lifestyles, even the little self-indulgences like skiing whenever we choose, no matter the temperature. They are part of the larger attitude that we aren’t subject to nature’s rules. If Mr. Cheney-Seymour wants a longer, more reliable ski season, maybe he should think about following the birds and move north.
Richard Figiel, Ticonderoga
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