I have a bit of a problem with the growth of indoor snow centres. Although I can fully understand that they are a valuable teaching aid, they must contribute to the global warming that theatens winter sport in the places where it most matters - in the mountains.
 
I don’t doubt that a couple of hours in a "snow dome" might be great fun for a group but it doesn’t seem such a great way to encourage people to get to know and appreciate the great outdoors.
 
Additonally, I assume that the condition of the artificial snow is pretty uniform. Although it is better to gain confidence on good snow as a raw beginner, it is also important to learn how to cope with conditions that vary not just over the course of a holiday but throughout the day when you are subject to real weather.

But where on the scale of environmental evil does this come? I suspect pretty low, relative to the damage we all do by having our food and wine shipped constantly around the world, for example.
 
Wouldn’t it be great if all businesses had to state the environmental impact of their products and services, in an intelligible form?

Yes that’s probably a good point Chris. The only thing is that creating gigantic fridge/ freezers in the middle of (even) the desert will probably generate several other environmentally suspect activities (flying, driving, transporting more food and drink) that would probably otherwise not have happened. Having said that, I couldn’t agree with you more - a trusted source of information on this topic would help everyone make better informed choices.
 
John

I have mixed views on snow centres - both environmentally and on the indoor / outdoor topic.
 
As a place to practise, enjoying learning a new sport or simply having the chance to try skiing and boarding without the cost of holiday, snow centres are a good idea - and far-removed from the traditional dry slope days of pulled thumbs, bruises and scratches. And if we can encourage kids to enjoy some activities, albeit indoors, then that’s got to be a positive move.
 
In leisure terms I guess it is meant to be comparable with pursuing indoor activities such as gyms, pools, bowling, climbing walls etc - and as a year-round opportunity and a lot of fun.
 
But this incredible building boom is getting ridiculous. Oodles amount of money spent on constructing larger and more elaborate centres is, quite frankly, madness.  "Alpine Resorts" under cover? in the desert? - it has gone far beyond the Centre Parks idea of unobtrusive family holiday centres. Snow centres now seem to require chairlifts, hotels, full retail and dining areas, toboggan runs etc. No longer a bit of fun in a spare hour or two - this is a full-on holiday experience, without having to step outside!
 
There is a wonderful, real world outside, to be appreciated, savoured and explored. Plenty of real Alpine villages to visit year-round and the UK countryside has so much more going for it than most people realise. And if you can’t get wet, muddy and cold now and again, then "nanny state" is perhaps a sad recognition of what the future holds for some.
 
It would be great to have more views on John’s question. Anyone?  I’m off to enjoy the great outdoors while everyone is indoors!

I’m not against commercial leisure centres and love snowsports, I just curse that there isn’t one in the West of England.
 
I wonder how much energy they really use? They are basically a huge refrigerator + snowmaking; lots probably.
 
So not the right message to send at a time of energy restrictions and climate damage. One wonders how a district council can claim green credentials and grant planning permission for this type of facility!

As has been said above the environmental impact of a snow dome, compared to say the daily traffic driving past it will be miniscule, and IF current trends in golbal warming continue at current rates, covered slopes may be the only future of the sport in Europe.
It’s Ironic that the US is the largest global emitter of greenhouse gasses, yet still has no major problems with ski resorts, yet Europe which is doing something to rectify the problem has shrinking glaciers and shorter seasons!
Finally, IF we are thinking that a few snowdomes are not sending out the right message environmentally, we aught to look inward at our own behaviour…What Cars we drive (many winter sports fans drive 4x4’s), what bulbs we use at home (if every household changed all their bulbs to low energy we could demolish most coal fired power plants in the uk) etc

Despite seemingly replete in the natural stuff. The US has just started building its first indoor ski centre. The first girders of the Xanadu indoor snow centre are now in place and can be seen across the New Jersey sky line. The Centre will contain 2 slopes one 240m and a 100m
 
Las Vegas is reportedly planning for it’s own indoor snow slope. Originally the plan was to relocate a popular water park, but now plans include a snow slope.
 
And Dubai has announced further plans for an even larger snow dome than the current one.
 
I agree with the thread of this posting; that these centres aren’t very environmentally friendly (and the ‘snow’ has the tendancy to be icy at the best of times) but if the snow line continues to receed at the speed it is in Europe, snow domes may be the only way to enjoy skiing in the future. Unless ‘The Day After Tomorrow’ happens, in which case….Yahhooo!