Talk:Climate change in New Hampshire

Wiki Education assignment: POLT 444 Politics and Policy in a Warming World

This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 29 August 2023 and 11 December 2023. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): ActualSportsFan88, Hew1033, NH3210, SLN102, Penguinandbooks224, User662255, Rose050821, Stud573! (article contribs).

— Assignment last updated by Coffins63 (talk) 23:11, 1 November 2023 (UTC)

Added content moved to talk

The following content was added at the top of the article, but contains no inline citations, has some odd formatting such as "nowiki" tags, and creates a redundant lede and references section. Moving here for discussion. I do not think we can include this as is. BD2412 T 17:40, 7 December 2023 (UTC)

Lead

Climate change has significantly affected New Hampshires winter recreation industry, particularly altering it's outdoor activities. Over the past decades, rising temperatures have led to diminished snowfall, particularly in southern regions. This decline has adversely affected the state's ski industry heavily, which has compelled resorts to invest heavily in artificial snow production, which puts stress on finances and increases closures. Other than the ski industry decreased snowfall in New Hampshire has broader economic implications. It impacts tourism revenues, wildlife, which contributes to increased energy consumption. Coastal areas face rising sea levels, affecting both residents and tourism during summer months. These climate-related challenges have strained infrastructure and led to increased energy demand.

Winter Recreation Data Paragraphs

Climate changes has been negatively effecting New Hampshire in huge ways, especially when it come to our winters. Since the 1970’s temperatures have increased in the winter months, we have also seen a drastic difference in our snowfall. The authors of Warming Winter and New Hampshire lost Ski Area state that "New Hampshire’s mean winter temperature warmed about 2.1° C (3.8° F).”(1). This is very prominent in the southern areas of New Hampshire. This has directly correlated to a steady decline in snowfall throughout the state seen in this graph from the previous document.

As you can see in the figure above there has been a decline in snowfall throughout the state. Comparing two cities that are two hundred miles away from each other north to south. Though analyzing the data Berlin’s snowfall from 1950 to 2003 has decreased by 43 cm (17 inches)(1). Now looking to the south of the state the city of Keene. From the same time line as previously 1950 to 2003 the city of Keene saw a decrease in snow fall of 58 cm which equates to just under two feet at 23 inches(). This data is not what avid skiers want to see. This data also puts the southern areas of the state at a greater disadvantage then the northern areas. With geological disadvantages even within the same state. Ski resorts have to find way to keep having people attend their mountain. The solution to this is creating artificial snow. Artificial is not cheap. Resorts spend a range from $70 to $2,100 per acre-foot. This is volume it takes up to cover one acer in a foot of snow. This cost is calculated through many factors which include the electricity cost, the amount of water they must use and compressed air to shoot out the newly made snow. This price range might seem fair however when put into perspective ski mountains have to keep producing snow every time it starts to warm along with the fact that many of the ski areas in New Hampshire are over 150 acers these expenses just keep building up. The authors of Warming Winters and New Hampshire Ski lost areas state “Major areas spent millions of dollars on snow-making equipment during the late 1970s and early 1980s. The successful ones left behind other areas that could not keep up with the pace of investment” (1).

As seen in the figure above the due to the expensive factors of artificial snow, many of the ski resorts that had no chair lift had to closed in between the time frame of 1975 to 2000. You can also see from the figure above that a lot of the areas in southern New Hampshire are closed between 1975 to 2000. Not only are these the mountains without chairlifts but mountains with chairlifts, especially in the south, have started to close. This is further showing the geological disadvantages that some areas in the state are up against. Throughout all of these factors from the warming temperatures in the cold months, decrease in natural snow fall and the expensive solution of artificial snow making. New Hampshire has lost a lot of tourism and avid skiers because mountains are not opening and the mountains that are open have limited trails and they are covered in artificial snow.

When exploring the effect of climate change on winter recreation, there are many essential factors. Warmer temperatures are leading to reduced snowfall. This more commonly occurs at lower elevations and limits the time frame for ski snowboarding and other winter activities. Reduced snowfall can also lead to a reduced winter season. According to Scott Michon and his article on Climate, lower snow levels also affect wildlife and winter sports. Gov, snowfall nationwide is down an average of 3.5 percent from the previous years. One area in winter recreation that is taking the biggest hit is ski resorts; Ski resorts depend on the winter season to bring in revenue. With shorter winter seasons, they have a smaller time window. Another growing concern with reduced snowfall is that it causes ski resorts to create more snow. Not only is this hard on ski resorts' funds, but it also causes more emissions from using more energy to run the snow machines. Like real snow, there are specific conditions and thresholds for creating snow. For mountain resorts to make artificial snow, there must be less than 60% humidity and temperatures around 27 degrees. Farther in height, and to make good snow, it's 21 degrees.(Scott Michon, Climate.gov) With the rise of temperatures, ski resorts are now producing less quality snow or putting out more emissions by trying to compensate for the warmer temperature by running the snow machines longer at a lower temperature. Local ski resort Loon Mountain Resort in Lincoln, New Hampshire, talked about the effects of climate change on their resort. The solution to this is creating artificial snow. Artificial is not cheap. Resorts spend a range from $70 to $2,100 per acre-foot, which causes problems with the 100-day rule; the 100-day rule refers to the fact that in the ski industry, a resort must be open 100 days minimum to make money. With the cost off running these resorts rising they need to be open for longer periods of time just to be able to compensate.

             Climate change can not only influence the environment but also impact the economy. Ski and mountain resorts face challenges with snow quality, Which causes less tourism. New Hampshire's best time of year for tourism is typically the winter for winter recreation or the scenery. Less snowfall makes the season shorter, limiting tourism and the money New Hampshire typically makes. New Hampshire is a coastal state with coastal communities; due to climate change, there has been a rise in sea levels. The rising sea level is a problem not only for residents but also for tourism. During the summer, places like Hampton Beach and Rye Beach are popular tourist areas; with rising sea levels, the beaches are becoming smaller and more crowded. New Hampshire pits resources towards preparing for rising sea levels; this causes them to put less time and resources into improving the beach and area around it to encourage more people to come. With the rise in climate change and its effects from it, infrastructure costs and energy demand go up. The change in weather has affected the roads, buildings, and bridges. This can take up resources in a significant amount of time that could be used for lowering emissions or looking for new clean ways. New Hampshire also has had a high energy demand recently with the increased temperature. With it being hot out and staying hot longer in the year, people are forced to use more energy on air conditioning.

              New Hampshire has been promoting using renewable energy sources and striving for a cleaner environment. This includes increasing the share of electricity generated from renewables and encouraging the development of solar and wind power projects. The state has also supported policies to incentivize the adoption of clean energy technologies. New Hampshire has also been striving for better regulation and better reliable transportation. They hope increased public transport will lower emissions while still being effective. With the initiatives that New Hampshire has been pushing for, jobs are opened up for citizens. The increased job opportunities will help the economy and help fuel future actions. New Hampshire's economy has taken a hit from climate change, whether from lower tourism, funding for new energy, or even everyday living. However, they are still acting to improve the economic status while addressing climate change.

References[edit]

https://scholars.unh.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1002&context=sustainability https://scholars.unh.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1002&context=sustainability (1) Lemcke-Stampone, Mary D.; Wake, Cameron P.; and Burakowski, Elizabeth, "New Hampshire Climate Assessment 2021" (2022). The Sustainability Institute Publications. 71. https://scholars.unh.edu/sustainability/71 (2) USGCRP. (2015). Fourth National Climate Assessment. Globalchange.gov, 2(1), 1–470. https://doi.org/10.7930/NCA4.2018.CH10

LaPoint, Hayley. “As Climate Changes, Most Ski Areas May Not Be Able to Survive.” WMUR, WMUR, 15 Apr. 2022, www.wmur.com/article/climate-change-ski-areas-new-hampshire/39455866. -vincent

Webmaster, CPC. “NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center.” Climate Prediction Center, 1 Jan. 2001, www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/. -Hayley

“How Climate Change Is Affecting New England.” NECC Observer, 22 Dec. 2021, observer.necc.mass.edu/blog/2021/12/22/how-climate-change-is-affecting-new-england/ . - Luke

“How Does the Climate Crisis Affect New England?” The Climate Reality Project, 25 Jan. 2021, www.climaterealityproject.org/blog/how-does-climate-crisis-affect-new-england. -Vincent

Fred Bever, Maine Public. “New England’s Ski Industry Prepares for a Changing Climate.” WBUR News, WBUR, 15 Mar. 2017, www.wbur.org/news/2017/03/15/ski-mountains-climate-change. -Sam [vg1]

Robert Steiger. (2017, December 8). Full article: A critical review of climate change risk for ski tourism. A critical review of climate change risk for ski tourism. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13683500.2017.1410110 -Hayley

Hamilton, Lawrence C. et al. “Warming Winters and New Hampshire’s Lost Ski Areas: An Integrated Case Study.” International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, vol. 23, no. 10, 2003, pp. 52-73.

IJSP23-10-CHAP1.vp:CorelVentura 7.0 (emerald.com) -Adam

Wilson, Geoff, et al. “Historical Climate Warming in the White Mountains of New Hampshire (USA): Implications for Snowmaking Water Needs at Ski Areas.” BioOne Complete, International Mountain Society, bioone.org/journals/mountain-research-and-development/volume-38/issue-2/MRD-JOURNAL-D-17-00117/Historical-Climate-Warming-in-the-White-Mountains-of-New-Hampshire/10.1659/MRD-JOURNAL-D-17-00117.full. Accessed 19 Oct. 2023.

https://19january2017snapshot.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-09/documents/climate-change-nh.pdf

Scott, Michon. “Climate & Skiing.” NOAA Climate.Gov, www.climate.gov/news-features/climate-and/climate-skiing. Accessed 19 Oct. 2023.

Historical Climate Warming in the White Mountains of New Hampshire (USA): Implications for Snowmaking Water Needs at Ski Areas (bioone.org)

IJSP23-10-CHAP1.vp:CorelVentura 7.0 (emerald.com)