The environmental impact of the first Winter Olympics in the world without a natural snow expert Q+A

The 24th Winter Olympic Games are currently underway in China’s capital. Winter seems far away. To combat the lack of cold weather, organizers are using huge amounts of energy and water to supply fake snow.

What are the implications of artificial winter conditions being maintained on such a large scale? Madeleine Orr is a sport ecologist at Loughborough University’s Institute for Sport Business. She examines the tournaments environmental scorecard.

We spoke with her for The Conversation Weekly podcast.

How important is the climate local to the Winter Olympic Games?

Chamonix, a French Alps village, hosted the first Winter Olympics. All events took place outdoors. Games organizers filled the courses with water to create natural rinks and tracks for sledding. There was also plenty fresh powder snow for skiers.

More recent Games have used substantial amounts artificial snow. Olympic snow makers Have saidSochi 2014 was 80% fake, and Pyeongchang 2018 closer to 90%. We are now watching the Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, with 100% artificial snow. This is unprecedented. This raises a lot of questions regarding the safety and competiability of the athletes and the environmental costs of the Games.

The last few Olympics were not chosen for their natural conditions. Climate change has shifted the precipitation patterns and increased temperatures in Beijing, but not enough to make conditions significantly different from what they were ten year ago when the bid was submitted. The Winter Olympic Games in Beijing would have to be able to use artificial snow since Zhangjiakou, a mountain city in Hebei province, is not as snowy. In this case, snowmaking is a great temporary solution. You can produce snow but you can’t produce cold temperatures.

Since the 1960s, ski resorts increasingly rely on artificial snow. To survive, resorts need to be open at least 100 days per year. This window is shrinking fast. For example, in Europe, the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research FoundSince 1970 in the Swiss Alps, about 12 days have passed since the start of the season. 26 days have passed since the end of the season. In North America, were seeing similar numbers.

The northern hemisphere has lost approximately four million square kilometres worth of spring snow coverage. 10% offOver the past four decades. Artificial snowmaking is the solution. That’s what we saw in Beijing. These trends will continue, and the world may lose another 10% in 40 years. If winter temperatures continue to rise, snowmaking may not have the ability to make up the difference.

What goes into making fake-snow?

These Olympics have seven machine rooms and pumping station that move water up mountains. Water is pushed through high pressure pumps and forced through a fan. More than 350 snow guns. It falls to the ground and is usually coated with chemical additives that aid in bind it together. However, in these Games snow makers are used. It was claimed that there are no chemicals involved. A team made up of groomers spread the snow.

Chinese organizers used water reservoirs that had been Rainwater collection and runoffThey claim that they are not drawing from the general water supply. Local newspapers reported on this dispute. rivers being divertedTo accommodate the fake-snowmaking, officials have It is believed that the water supply was cut off.To conserve groundwater, it is important to farmland. However, it appears that event organizers are only relying on predetermined reservoirs.

China claims the Games will be powered 100% by green energy. Beijing organizers have gone to great lengths in order to obtain access to renewables. The website provides an analysis Carbon BriefIt was suggested that Zhangjiakou can produce more green energy than other countries, and its pioneering grid system could deliver electricity to Beijing and the surrounding regions.

But, even if the Games are over, how will China power the dozens upon dozens of skating rinks and ski resorts across the country? Will it be able to fulfill its promise to bring 300 million people into winter sports once the Games are over?

Overall, maintaining fake snow supply is a technical problem that can be sustained with a lot energy and more than just a little bit of effort. 49 Million Gallons of WaterEnough to fill 800 Olympic swimming pool.

What will the impact of all that water consumption be?

Water use could rise if there are enough warm days and snow melts in the region. The EstimatesAccording to the Beijing 2022 organizing committee, the Games will use 4% of Yanqing’s available water and 2.6% from Zhangjiakou. It’s a shocking number, and it’s deep in the report. Researchers at the University of Strasbourg and others in China found that water use could be a problem. It is higher than thatDepending on the outcome of the Games,

The Paralympic Games are held one month later, when it’s likely to be a little warmer and dryer. Fake snow production could increase at this point.

The big question is what happens when all that snow melts?

Roughly 800,000 sq. metresFake snow will cover most terrain that is normally dry. Although the water table may be able to hold a little bit of meltwater, it is unlikely to hold much, especially if it melts quickly. It’s difficult to predict what that would look because most research has focused on situations with natural snow mixed in with artificial snow. Researchers have not examined the effects of 100% fake snow melting quickly. This is a little test case. We know that the organizers plan to recollect water from the snowmelt, but it is impossible to capture all of it.

Research suggests that there will be some erosion of sediment. Some loss of plant livesnderungen to the Arrangement of plant speciesThis could cause damage to wildlife in the area. It is too early to know what the consequences of this will be.

What else can you say?

The Games will be held near the Songshan National Nature Reserve. Some events were made possible by the removal of 20,000 trees. Chinese law had previously made the reserve closed to visitors. To accommodate the Games, the reserve’s boundaries were redrawn. This is what causes a commotionAmong local biologists. I believe they replanted around 80% of those trees elsewhere. However, biodiversity loss within reserve, particularly around alpine ponds and certain rare species that are found there, is undeniable.

It has been difficult to find translated information about this issue from the Chinese government.

Listen to Madeleine Orr talk about her research on The Conversation Week podcast.

What do athletes make of this?

Beijing 2022 is lacking a winter vibe. Many of the skiing and sledding areas are surrounded by brown mountains and industrial space. This is what athletes have been documenting via TikTok or Twitter. It’s a very non-wintery environment, which creates a strange atmosphere.

We interviewed A number of athletes are involved in this endeavor.You can find out what their concerns are by looking at different winter sports. Many, particularly downhill athletes, were thrilled to be competing on artificial white snow. It is hard and fast. Biathletes, as well as cross-country skiers, were more concerned about injury.

Artificial snow is 70% ice. Natural snow is only 30% ice. It is easier to slide on and maneuver through. It’s easier to ski on or board and less gritty. A harder surface can lead to more serious injuries.

Outdoor athletes are becoming more concerned about the environment. Many people think of farmers and fishers as being at the forefront of climate change, because they work outdoors. Many hours of training are spent outside by athletes. Winter athletes compete at higher altitudes and are exposed to a lot of snow. They may even have a front row seat to melting glaciers in some cases.

The International Biathlon Union just published a surveyIt was clear that a large majority of their members were very concerned or extremely concerned about climate changes. Most agreed to make lifestyle changes that would reduce their carbon footprint. In the survey data, we can see how concerned athletes are.

What might the future look like for the Winter Olympic Games?

The International Olympic Committee promisesto reduce its carbon emissions by half by 2030 and become carbon-neutral by 2040. These goals will be binding on all future hosts, including the Parisian hosts for the 2024 Summer Games. They will be climate-positive.

It will be interesting to see how Committee does this. However, it will be difficult to keep the Winter Games in places that require a lot more water and energy to recreate traditional winter environments.

COVID-19 has pushed the boundaries of the imagination of members of the Olympic Committee, I believe. Two Olympic Games were held without spectators. This reduces the need to build huge stadiums for every tournament. If they reduced the number of tickets and seating they expect to sell at these types of events, we could travel to smaller mountain communities with smaller facilities. The athletes would compete in front their family, friends, and some locals. There would not be a need for large spectator facilities.

This would reduce international travel, which is a significant contributor to the overall environment footprint, and open up opportunities to smaller cities with smaller venues to host.

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