While you may only watch most winter sports every four years, cheering on your country as an athlete skis down a mountain is fun. Unfortunately, rising temperatures are threatening the future of winter sports.
As highlighted by the International University Sports Federation, "A recent study estimated that by 2050, only 10 of the 21 former Winter Olympic host cities may remain climatically reliable."
What's happening?
Rising temperatures are causing a decline in snow cover in the Rockies, Alps, and Scandinavia, which are key regions for winter sports. European ski seasons are also shortening because there is not enough natural snow.
Additionally, snow seasons in South America and New Zealand are delayed and shorter.
The lack of snow affects not only tourism but also athletes' training schedules. They must travel farther to train with natural snow or turn to "artificial indoor facilities, both of which increase financial and logistical burdens," per FISU. Some athletes have major sponsorship deals, but not all do.
According to U.S. News & World Report, many athletes have day jobs to support their dreams, working in restaurants, retail, and nursing or as auto mechanics, for example.
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While artificial snow machines are being used to solve the issue, they come with their own set of problems, including increased energy and water consumption.
Many athletes are concerned about how rising temperatures are affecting their sports. A University of Waterloo study surveyed 400 athletes, and 95% believe the changing climate is negatively affecting their sport and that not enough is being done about it.
Why is decreasing snow concerning?
Hosting the Winter Olympics can bring substantial economic benefits to cities. For example, Axios reported that Utah will bring in $6.6 billion from the 2034 Winter Games in Salt Lake City. However, fewer cities will be able to host the games with less snow falling.
Declining snow is not a new problem. It was an issue for the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing, which used artificial snow for all events.
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Definitely 👍 Those Olympics used a ton of water to create the snow. Brock University reported that it took about 49 million gallons of water and that it happened during a water shortage. The International Olympic Committee did primarily use solar and wind energy to power the machines.
What's being done about declining snow for winter sports?
According to FISU, more efficient artificial snow machines are being developed, and green solutions are also being explored.
While adapting to the change is one solution, attacking the root cause of rising temperatures would be a more effective long-term strategy.
There are many ways to do this. For example, you can use your voice to urge government representatives to enact environmentally friendly policies.
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