Podcast Biodiverso is 3Bee's video podcast about biodiversity from a fresh perspective. Discover the second episode "Once upon a time there was snow".

Biodiverse Podcast - Ep. 2: Once upon a time there was snow

Podcast Biodiverso is 3Bee's video podcast on biodiversity from a fresh perspective. Discover the second episode "Once upon a time there was snow", which explores the topic of SOS snow and sustainable mountain tourism, with host Sofia Farina.

3Bee's 'Biodiverse Podcast' stands out in the panorama of climate podcasts for its ability to weave irony, lightness and information into a unique format that is accessible to all. The first season is made up of 6 episodes, available on Spotify and Youtube, and tackles key topical issues, such as the climate crisis and biodiversity, in a sparkling and original way. Each episode presents an exclusive perspective on the big questions of sustainability: from climate change to sex, from feelings to the extinction of mosquitoes, and even nuclear energy. Not the usual green podcast, but a tool for dissemination, discussion and learning, to tell the story of biodiversity in a new way, also thanks to the contribution of renowned guests.

What is the Biodiverse Podcast?

In the second episode of "Podcast Biodiverso", entitled "Once upon a time there was snow", guest Sofia Farina, a graduate in atmospheric physics and President of Protect Our Winters Italia, explores the topic of SOS snow and solutions to make mountain tourism more sustainable. If the average global temperature increase recorded so far is one degree, the average temperature increase in our Alps has risen by a good two degrees, practically twice as much. With our glaciers suffering and the mountains becoming increasingly poor in snow, the ski resorts are also in great difficulty. And so: will we still be able to ski in the Alps in ten years' time? This is just one of the questions 3Bee answers in the second episode of the 'Biodiverse Podcast'.

Who is the guest of the second episode of Podcast Biodiverso?

Our country offers more than 280 ski resorts with almost 5,800 km of slopes served, but Italy is among the Alpine countries most dependent on artificial snow, with 90 per cent of slopes artificially covered. In spite of this, there are many facilities still under construction in our mountains. Due to climate change and the absence of snow, there is a tendency to design new facilities at higher altitudes to replace those at lower altitudes that are no longer useless. Tourism in the mountains has increased in recent years, so much so that we can speak of overtourism. As Sofia Farina points out in the second episode of the 3Bee podcast, we should start experiencing the mountains more slowly, but the trend today is exactly the opposite. In fact, new fashions are in vogue, such as après-ski at high altitudes, the sport of heli-skiing or even heli-barbecues (barbecues at high altitudes), which have a significant impact on the mountain ecosystem and its biodiversity.

What will be the future of tourism in the mountains?

Artificial snow is produced by special machines that imitate the process that occurs naturally at high altitudes: water particles suspended in the clouds freeze and fall to the ground. The production of artificial snow is strictly dependent on temperature and humidity: when conditions are not ideal, a large quantity of snow cannot be guaranteed. During the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, the temperatures recorded at the Cypress Mountain ski resort were so high that the production of artificial snow was impossible. In order to allow the ski and snowboard competitions to take place, tens of tonnes of straw had to be placed on the slopes and hundreds of tonnes of snow collected at higher altitudes had to be transported. In this context, a study by the University of Basel in 2022 argues that snow-covered slopes will become increasingly rare, even if artificial snow is used to whitewash them.

How do you make artificial snow?

"<a href="https://www.3bee.com/podcast-biodiverso/" target="_blank">Podcast Biodiverso</a>" is the first podcast show from the naturetech <a href="https://www.3bee.com/" target="_blank">3Bee</a>, which stands out in the climate podcast scene for its ability to weave irony, levity and information into a unique and accessible format for all. The <clr>first season</clr> is composed of <clr>6 episodes</clr>, available on <a href="https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/3bee6/episodes/Sesso--clima-e-rocknroll-i-legami-tra-sessualit-e-cambiamento-climatico-e2fih27" target="_blank">Spotify</a> and <a href="https://youtu.be/B_cFncxEQQw" target="_blank">Youtube</a>, and tackles key current issues, such as the climate crisis and <a href="https://blog.3bee.com/it/i-corridoi-verdi-un-mezzo-per-sostenere-la-biodiversita" target="_blank">biodiversity</a>, in a sparkling and original way. Each episode presents an exclusive perspective on the big questions of <a href="https://blog.3bee.com/it/sostenibilita-limportanza-della-formazione-continua" target="_blank">sustainability</a>: from <a href="https://blog.3bee.com/it/farfalle-e-strategie-di-adattamento-al-cambiamento-climatico" target="_blank">climate change</a> to sex, from feelings to mosquito extinction, and even nuclear energy. Not the usual <clr>green podcast</clr>, but a tool for spreading, comparing and learning, to tell the story of biodiversity in a new way, also thanks to the contribution of renowned <clr>guests</clr>.

Biodiverse podcast: 3Bee's first podcast show

Podcast

In the second episode of "<a href="https://www.3bee.com/podcast-biodiverso/" target="_blank">Podcast Biodiverso</a>", entitled "Once upon a time there was snow", is guest <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sofia-farina-900308185/?originalSubdomain=it" target="_blank">Sofia Farina</a>, graduate in atmospheric physics and President of <a href="https://protectourwinters.it/" target="_blank">Protect Our Winters Italia</a>, to explore the topic of <clr>SOS snow</clr> and solutions to make <clr>mountain tourism</clr> more <clr>sustainable</clr>. If the increase in the average global temperature recorded so far is one degree, the increase in the <clr>average temperature</clr> on our <clr>Alps</clr> has risen by a good 2 degrees, practically twice as much. With our <clr>glaciers</clr> suffering and the mountains becoming increasingly poor in snow, the ski resorts are also in great difficulty. And so: <clr>in ten years' time will we still be able to ski in the Alps? </clr> This is just one of the questions that 3Bee answers in the second episode of "<a href="https://www.3bee.com/podcast-biodiverso/" target="_blank">Biodiverse podcast</a>".

Once Upon a Time in the Snow: the second episode

Neve

Our country offers more than <clr>280 ski resorts</clr> with almost <clr>5,800 km</clr> of <clr>slopes served</clr>, but Italy is among the Alpine countries most dependent on <clr>artificial snow</clr> with 90% of its slopes artificially covered. In spite of this, there are plenty of facilities still under construction in our mountains. Due to the <a href="https://blog.3bee.com/it/cambiamento-climatico-in-francia-aumento-di-quattro-gradi-centigradi" target="_blank">climate changes</a> and the absence of snow, there is a tendency to design new lifts at higher altitudes, to replace those at lower altitudes that are no longer useless. <clr>Mountain tourism</clr> has increased in recent years, so much so that we can speak of <clr>overtourism</clr>. As pointed out by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sofia-farina-900308185/?originalSubdomain=it" target="_blank">Sofia Farina</a> in the second episode of the <a href="https://www.3bee.com/" target="_blank">3Bee</a> podcast, we should start to experience the mountains in a slower way, but the trend today is exactly the opposite. In fact, new fashions are in vogue, such as <clr>apres-skiing</clr> at high altitudes, the sport of <clr>eliskiing</clr> or even <clr>eli-barbecue</clr> (barbecues at high altitudes), which significantly impact the mountain ecosystem and its <a href="https://blog.3bee.com/it/all-origine-della-biodiversita" target="_blank">biodiversity</a>.

Mountain

<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sofia-farina-900308185/?originalSubdomain=it" target="_blank">Sofia Farina</a> is an atmospheric physicist and science communicator. She loves observing and reporting on <clr>meteorology</clr> in all its forms, even while running and skiing in the <clr>Alps</clr> and <clr>Appennines</clr> (did you say multitasking?). Sofia has a <clr>PhD in Alpine Meteorology</clr> from the <a href="https://www.unitn.it/" target="_blank">University of Trento</a>, where she specialised in turbulent fluid dynamics of circulations in complex terrain. From her studies in Bologna, she learnt activism and has been a member of the board of international <a href="https://www.cipra.org/it" target="_blank">CIPRA</a> for 3 years. In addition, she has been President of <a href="https://protectourwinters.it/" target="_blank">Protect Our Winters Italy</a> since 2023.

The guest of the second episode: Sofia Farina

Guest

Did you know how <clr>artificial snow</clr> is made? It is produced by special <clr>machinery</clr> that mimics the process that occurs naturally at high altitude: the <clr>particles of water suspended in the clouds</clr> freeze and fall to the ground. The production of artificial snow is strictly dependent on <clr>temperature</clr> and <clr>moisture</clr>: when conditions are not ideal, a large quantity of snow cannot be guaranteed. During the <a href="https://olympics.com/it/olympic-games/vancouver-2010" target="_blank">2010 Vancouver Olympics</a>, the temperatures recorded in the <clr>Cypress Mountain</clr> area were so high that the production of artificial snow was impossible. In order to allow the <clr>skiing</clr> and <clr>snowboarding</clr> races</clr> to take place, tens of tonnes of straw had to be placed on the slopes and hundreds of tonnes of snow collected at higher altitudes had to be transported. In this context, <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00484-022-02394-z" target="_blank">a study by the University of Basel in 2022</a> argues that <clr>snowed slopes</clr> will be increasingly <clr>rare</clr>, even if artificial snow is used to whitewash them.

Biodiverse curiosity: how is artificial snow made?

Curiosities

The <clr>next episodes</clr> of <a href="https://www.3bee.com/podcast-biodiverso/" target="_blank">Biodiverse Podcast</a> will be released every three weeks and will cover topics such as nuclear energy, mosquito extinction, the future of mountains and sports such as alpine skiing, hunting and environmental activism:.
- <clr>Climatic action or distraction?</clr> - Coming soon
- <clr>Atomic episode</clr> - Coming soon
- <clr>Hunting for Biodiversity</clr> - Coming soon
- <clr>Biodiversity that stings</clr> - Coming soon
"<a href="https://blog.3bee.com/it/3bee-lancia-il-suo-primo-podcast-show-podcast-biodiverso" target="_blank">Biodiverse Podcast</a>" explores from a new perspective all those topics that 3Bee offers every day in <a href="https://www.3bee.com/academy/" target="_blank">company training programmes</a> and in <a href="https://www.3bee.com/educazione/" target="_blank">school educational plans</a>, in a dynamic and engaging format. It is an invitation to discover, reflect and act, with the aim of creating an ever-widening network of <clr>ambassadors of change</clr>, aware of the importance of <a href="https://blog.3bee.com/it/all-origine-della-biodiversita" target="_blank">biodiversity</a> for our planet.