Ski resorts have a butt problem

The French ski resort of Val Thorens is selling disposable ashtrays to tourists in an effort to cut down the millions of cigarette butts left of its slopes every season. According to The Times, officials at the famous resort say that under one ski lift alone, they find an incredible 30,000 butts every season, after the snow has melted. Each butt takes two years to decompose, and pollutes mountain streams as the spring thaw sets in. A spokesman for the resort reportedly said: “The 30,000 butts that we pick up under one chairlift are enough to pollute the equivalent of 500 swimming pools.” The ashtrays are being sold for GBP1.00 but officials reportedly state that few skiers are taking them on to the slopes. Meanwhile, the Austrian resort of Hochfuegen has held its first-ever “nude” ski race, which attracted some 2,000 spectators. According to the online news provider Ananova, competitors, who wore “g-strings, bikinis, swimming trunks or underwear”, had to complete two jumps, down a glass of schnapps and perform a pirouette. Authorities reportedly insisted that skiers did not go completely nude; even so, five women went topless to take part. Report by Tim Gillett, News From Abroad