What is the small-c 'conservative' thing to do?

Here's a disturbing little story titled heatwave closes Mont Blanc to tourists.

While the lower resorts do not rely on the permafrost for their lifts, they are already at risk from the steady rise in the winter snowline. A Unesco report last year quoted Swiss glaciologist Bruno Messerli from the University of Bern, who said that within 20 years low-level ski stations would be forced to close.

'Big banks will no longer give loans for new ski industry constructions,' he said..."

So how does one know if it is a swallow or a season?