On Thursday, we visited Saint-Gervais-les-Bains in the French Alps, a town very popular for tourists, and thus also facing challenges from mass tourism and climate change. We were welcomed at the town hall by the mayor Mr Jean Marc Peillex, who was talking about the challenges the region must face and the decisions he and the town council often must take to preserve the region around St. Gervais. Crowds disrupt its once serene atmosphere, while melting glaciers and erratic weather patterns threaten its delicate ecosystem.
Afterwards we took the Tramway Du Mont Blanc to Grand Bellevue. We reached the ski resort at an altitude of 1800 metres above sea level. We had a lot of fun in Bellevue, and the view of the Mont Blanc Massif and its surrounding glaciers was impressive. At the same time, it became clear to us how much humans have already impacted this fragile ecosystem. Many forests were cleared to build ski slopes and lifts for the numerous ski resorts. From up there, we could see the extent even more clearly. Although we still had snow at around 1800 meters, there was noticeably too less for this time of year. Many of the slopes around us were either completely snow-free or barely covered, and some appeared to have been snowed with snow cannons. However, only a few people were skiing. How will this continue? Urgent action is needed to preserve the ecosystem for the future generations.
