“Climate change poses a growing threat to winter sports and the cultural legacy of the Olympic Winter Games,”
David Scott, Researcher
The Olympic Games make people happy. They serve up a refreshing break from the daily grind – especially during these cold, dark evenings when we’re all in hibernation mode. The Games are woven into our culture and history, but down the road, they may look very different.
Changes are coming
As our winters warm, the pool of potential host cities for the Winter Games is shrinking. A recent study commissioned by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) examined the 93 past host sites for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. By mid-century, researchers found that only about half of them would be viable locations.
By the IOC’s own site-selection standards, the outlook is even more stark. Within the next 25 years, they estimate there may only be 10 or 12 reliable host sites for the Winter Games. Further, only about four of those could make it work without relying on artificial snow. You might need to read that again. I did.
The climate connection
Even if the weather outside your door has been unusually chilly lately, the broader climate trend remains clear: it’s getting hotter. In fact, in the aggregate, colder regions are heating up faster than warmer regions. The Arctic, for example, is warming more than twice as fast as the global average.
I recently heard this analogy that stuck with me…weather is what you’re wearing today; climate is your entire wardrobe. One cold snap doesn’t negate a long-term trend.
The athletes
Climate scientists have been tracking these changes for decades. But guess who else is noticing? Athletes. In a survey of winter athletes and coaches from 20 countries, 90% said they’re worried about the impact of the warming climate on their sport and are already seeing shorter seasons, less reliable snow, and rapidly changing conditions.
What happens next?
Near-term solutions could include advanced snowmaking, shifting the schedule earlier (Olympics in January and Paralympics in February), and rotating the Games between a set of reliably cold locations.
But in the long run, the only durable solution is slowing climate change itself.
For the love
Let’s face it, if warming continues on its current pace, disruption of Olympic Games will be the least of our concerns. Still, people are motivated to protect what we love, and for many of us, the Winter Olympics are part of that.
What can we do?
- Talk about how warmer winters are impacting skiing and other winter sports
- Check out Protect Our Winters, the nonprofit founded by U.S. professional snowboarder Jeremy Jones
- Help debunk the myth that a cold snap means climate change isn’t real
Let’s do something about climate change. Learn about it. Talk about it. Help solve it.