00:00Will Milano Cortina be the last Winter Olympics with natural snow?
00:08The Games were deemed as a success but also drew criticism for their massive use of artificial snow.
00:14Rising winter temperatures are drying up the Alps.
00:17By 2050, ski resorts below 1,200 meters may see snow-free winters
00:23and within 75 years the amount of snowfall in the Alps could drop between 25 and 45%.
00:29Some 90% of Italy's ski resorts already rely on artificial snow compared to 70% in Austria and 54
00:38% in Switzerland.
00:39It may save winter holidays but for the environment it's a problem.
00:43Just one hectare with 30 centimeters of artificial snow needs around 1,000 cubic meters of water, roughly 20 backyard
00:53swimming pools.
00:54To create artificial snow, water is pumped from rivers and lakes or pulled from artificially created basins straining local ecosystems.
01:03On top of that it's denser and heavier, meaning that it melts more slowly, leading to soil compaction and delayed
01:10plant growth.
01:11Its carbon bill is relevant too as its production generates the equivalent of 24 kilotons of CO2,
01:18let alone the financial costs, ranging from 3.5 to 5 euros per cubic meter.
01:24So snow cannons may keep slopes white but they won't help cool a warming plant.
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