October 31st, 2008
“We’ve got 71 runs… and 10 lifts, seven of them high-speed quads …but what’s really impressive is we have 3,365 acres of vertical drops,” Labbe says. “Mount Bachelor sits in the middle of the high desert, on a volcano, and when you’re on top of the volcano you can see all the way to Mount Shasta in northern California and Mount Adams in southern Washington.”
Ecologically speaking, what’s impressive is the operation’s carbon footprint reduction over the past few years - the past year in particular.
“One hundred percent of our power is purchased through Renewable Energy Credits (REC’s) in order to reduce our carbon footprint –REC’s that come in the form of wind, biomass (biological waste), solar, small hydro and geothermal sources. We buy the largest amount – over 7 million kilowatt hours of REC’s – from Renewable Choice, and that offsets the energy demands of about 570 households. We’re the largest purchaser in the state,” says Labbe.
In addition, Mt. Bachelor purchases 660,371 REC’s, all from wind power, through local company, Mid-State Electric.
“So our total renewable-energy commitment is 7,839,245 kilowatt hours,” Labbe says. “That effectively reduces Mount Bachelor’s carbon footprint by 113.6 percent… It’s like not using 10,322 barrels of oil or not burning 4.5 million pounds of coal, or the equivalent of not driving 10.68 million miles in an average car.”
Buying renewal energy is one idea that’s snowballing across the ski landscape. Some 68 ski areas in 17 states across the United States are investing in renewable energy to help fight against global warming, according to the National Ski Areas Association, which has compiled a listing of participating resorts for the green-minded skier.
Of those 68 resorts, 38 are offsetting 100 percent of their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions — collectively saving the earth an impressive 499,499,000 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2), according to the NSAA.
Still, Mt. Bachelor, among others on the Top 10 list, leads the pack with a comprehensive approach to green operations, featuring many other ecologically sensitive elements:
- No resort or major real estate development on the mountain, which greatly reduces a ski area’s impact on the alpine environment, water systems, wetlands and wildlife. Accommodations are off the mountain. (There are small lodges with restaurant and bar facilities, however.)
- Aggressive on-mountain recycling programs. Last season the guest-recycling program, which includes bins for recycling, trash and compost, diverted 19 tons of garbage from landfills, while the employee program diverted 30 tons of garbage.
- A no-idling rule for all vehicles at the ski area. Neither shuttle buses nor private vehicles that are picking up skiers are allowed to idle.
- An carbon-offset option for guests who prefer to drive rather than shuttle from Bend. They can buy a “Green Tag” through the Bonneville Environmental Foundation. “They’re stickers that you can buy for $2 each that are like a single renewable energy credit that will be sent to a wind/biomass/solar provider,” Labbe says. “One will offset 150 pounds of greenhouse gases or 3 round trip drives between Sunriver and/or Bend. And some people purchase a $20 Green Tag, which offsets 1,500 pounds of greenhouse gases, or basically a whole season of driving” to the mountain from nearby towns.
- Using its restaurants’ cooking oil to fuel the biodiesel buses and selling any surplus to companies that make biodiesel from cooking oil.
But the most appealing thing about Mt. Bachelor may be is its back country attitude. Because it is situated in a preserve, the experience is far different from the glitzy, party atmosphere of other high-end resorts. Here, it’s primarily about skiing – and perhaps a bit of apres-ski.
“We are a very pristine mountain. Our runs are lined with trees, not fabricated villages and condos and spas,” Labbe says. “People come here for the rural, volcano experience… The backside is completely wild. For the people who find their environmental choices important for the products they choose, Mount Bachelor is a perfect fit.
“We’re commited to keeping winter cool (both style wise and in terms of “saving” winter from global warming). We want our kids to be able to ski 50 years from now. So we need to be able to preserve our winters.”
More resources:
Green Development at Aspen/Snowmass
Keep Winter Cool – a partnership between the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) and the Natural Resources Defense Council
Photo credits: Aspen Mountain, Aspen Skiing Co.; Mt. Bachelor, Mt. Bachelor Ski Area
Copyright © 2008 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media
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