Climate Change Is Making The Winter Olympics Dangerous
On February 4th, the 2022 Winter Olympics will be hosted in Beijing, but there is a big problem. There isn’t actually snow necessary for many of the key events, but artificial snow will be used in its place.
In fact, it is the first Winter Olympics to actually use nearly 100% artificial snow. While this may sound great because the event will go on as planned, it’s actually terrible for not only the athletes competing but also the environment.
This may just be the first of many snowless Olympic events.
How Will They Make That Much Snow?
If you are familiar with the Winter Olympics, then you probably know that skiing is a major event. And that requires an entire slope to be covered in snow. To do this, it requires 100 snow generators and 300 snow-making guns.
If this sounds ridiculous, that’s because it is.
This not only requires a large amount of energy to operate the devices but wastes a tremendous amount of water in the process. Yet, this is only a minor problem when you realize that these devices require chemicals to operate.
They are essentially covering the entire side of a mountain with harmful chemicals that will be released as the snow melts. Similar to road salt.
For reference, they will require 49 million gallons of chemically treated water. More if the artificial snow melts too fast. It’s something you would expect from a cartoon villain, but it’s really happening.
Its Dangerous for Athletes
Artificial snow may seem like real snow, but it’s pretty different.
According to research, athletes are at a higher risk of injury because artificial snow makes them go faster and creates a harder surface. It can be a deadly combo. And with nearly 100% of the snow being artificial, it’s a real concern.
Are There Alternatives for the Winter Olympics?
There’s a pretty obvious one. Host these particular events somewhere else.
This seems pretty simple. Even without snow, the majority of these events can be hosted without issue. There are far better options available, and since this is a global event, there shouldn’t be much of an issue hosting in another country right?
Unfortunately, the Olympics is not as friendly as you may think. The hosting nations end up covering the costs of the event, and while you might think that the event is a huge moneymaker, you would be wrong.
In recent years, nations lose money hosting the Olympics (summer or winter). This is because oftentimes the host nation lacks the infrastructure necessary to handle such a spike in tourism. It requires extra lodging, staff, and you know, a giant stadium.
And these stadiums are often abandoned once the event ends.
For example, in 2008, Beijing’s National Stadium was created specifically for the Olympics. Due to the size of the stadium, it is too large for regular events. At least it will see usage in 2022, but that is still a 14-year gap!
Not only is this a cost problem, but it’s also a land usage problem.
Robert has been following and writing about environmental stories for years at GreenGeeks. He believes that highlighting environmentally friendly practices can help promote change in every household.
