White mountain, green tourism

The French Alpine town of Chamonix has been a magnet for tourists
since the 18th century. But today, tourism and climate change are
putting pressure on the surrounding environment. Marc Grainger
reports.
A
The town of Chamonix-Mont-Blanc sits in a valley at 1,035 metres
above sea level in the Haute-Savoie department in south-eastern
France. To the northwest are the red peaks of the Aiguilles
Rouges massif; to the south-east are the permanently white peaks of
Mont Blanc, which at 4,810 metres is the highest mountain in the Alps.
It’s a typical Alpine environment, but one that is under increasing
strain from the hustle and bustle of human activity.
B
Tourism is Chamonix’s lifeblood. Visitors have been encouraged to visit
the valley ever since it was discovered by explorers in 1741. Over 40
years later, in 1786,
Mont Blanc’s summit was finally reached by a French doctor and his
guide, and this gave birth to the sport of alpinism, with Chamonix at its
centre. In 1924, it hosted the first Winter Olympics, and the cable cars
and lifts that were built in the years that followed gave everyone
access to the ski slopes.
C
Today, Chamonix is a modern town, connected to the outside world via
the Mont Blanc Road Tunnel and a busy highway network. It receives
up to 60,000 visitors at a time during the ski season, and climbers,
hikers and extreme-sports enthusiasts swarm there in the summer in
even greater numbers, swelling the town’s population to 100,000. It is
the third most visited natural site in the world, according to
Chamonix’s Tourism Office and, last year, it had 5.2 million visitor bed
nights - all this in a town with fewer than 10,000 permanent
inhabitants.
D
This influx of tourists has put the local environment under severe
pressure, and the authorities in the valley have decided to take action.
Educating visitors is vital. Tourists are warned not to drop rubbish, and
there are now recycling points dotted all around the valley, from the
town centre to halfway up the mountains. An internet blog reports
environmental news in the town, and the ‘green’ message is delivered
with all the tourist office’s activities.
E
Low-carbon initiatives are also important for the region. France is
committed to reducing its carbon emissions by a factor of four by
2050. Central to achieving this aim is a strategy that encourages
communities to identify their carbon emissions on a local level and
make plans to reduce them. Studies have identified that
accommodation accounts for half of all carbon emissions in the
Chamonix valley. Hotels are known to be inefficient operations, but
those around Chamonix are now cleaning up their act. Some are using
low-energy lighting, restricting water use and making recycling bins
available for guests; others have invested in huge projects such as
furnishing and decorating using locally sourced materials, using
geothermal energy for heating and installing solar panels.
F
Chamonix’s council is encouraging the use of renewable energy in
private properties too, by making funds available for green renovations
and new constructions. At the same time, public- sector buildings have
also undergone improvements to make them more energy efficient and
less wasteful. For example, the local ice rink has reduced its annual
water consumption from 140,000 cubic metres to 10,000 cubic metres
in the space of three years.
G
Improving public transport is another feature of the new policy, as 80
percent of carbon emissions from transport used to come from private
vehicles. While the Mont Blanc Express is an ideal way to travel within
the valley - and see some incredible scenery along the route - it is
much more difficult to arrive in Chamonix from outside by rail. There is
no direct line from the closest airport in Geneva, so tourists arriving by
air normally transfer by car or bus. However, at a cost of 3.3 million
euros a year, Chamonix has introduced a free shuttle service in order
to get people out of their cars and into buses fitted with particle filters.
H
If the valley’s visitors and residents want to know why they need to
reduce their environmental impact, they just have to look up; the
effects of climate change are there for everyone to see in the melting
glaciers that cling to the mountains. The fragility of the Alpine
environment has long been a concern among local people. Today, 70
percent of the 805 square kilometres that comprise Chamonix-Mont-
Blanc is protected in some way. But now, the impact of tourism has led
the authorities to recognise that more must be done if the valley is to
remain prosperous: that they must not only protect the natural
environment better, but also manage the numbers of visitors better, so
that its residents can happily remain there.

Questions 1-5
Reading Passage 2 has eight paragraphs, A-H.
Which paragraph contains the following information?
You may use any letter more than once.
1 a list of the type of people who enjoy going to Chamonix
2 reference to a system that is changing the way visitors reach
Chamonix
3 the geographical location of Chamonix
4 mention of the need to control the large tourist population in
Chamonix
5 reference to a national environmental targetQuestions 6-7
Choose TWO letters, A-E.
The writer mentions several ways that the authorities aim to educate
tourists in Chamonix.
Which TWO of the following ways are mentioned?

A giving instructions about litter

B imposing fines on people who drop litter
C handing out leaflets in the town
D operating a web-based information service
E having a paper-free tourist office
Questions 8-9
Choose TWO letters, A-E.
The writer mentions several ways that hotels are reducing their carbon
emissions.
Which TWO of the following ways are mentioned?
A using natural cleaning materials
B recycling water
C limiting guest numbers
D providing places for rubbish
E harnessing energy from the sun
Questions 10-13
Complete the sentences below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each
answer.
10 The first people to discover the Chamonix valley were …………..
11 Chamonix’s busiest tourist season is the …………..
12 Public areas, such as the ………………..…….. in Chamonix, are
using fewer resources.
13 The …………..…….. on the mountains around Chamonix provide
visual evidence of global warming.